Paul Blair (baseball)

Paul Blair
Center fielder
Born: (1944-02-01)February 1, 1944 Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died: December 26, 2013(2013-12-26) (aged 69) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 9, 1964, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
June 20, 1980, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.250
Home runs	134
Runs batted in	620
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1964–1976) New York Yankees (1977–1979) Cincinnati Reds (1979) New York Yankees (1980)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1969, 1973) 4× World Series champion (1966, 1970, 1977, 1978) 8× Gold Glove Award (1967, 1969–1975) Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame

Paul L. D. Blair (February 1, 1944 – December 26, 2013) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1964 through 1980, most notably as the center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1971. He also played for the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds.^[1]

A two-time All-Star player, Blair excelled as a defensive player, winning the Gold Glove Award eight times, including seven consecutive years from 1969 to 1975.^[2] One of the best defensive outfielders of his era, and "perhaps the finest" he had excellent range and was brilliant at tracking fly balls.^[3][4] He challenged hitters by playing shallow, then running down balls hit over his head.^[5] In 1984, Blair was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.^[6]