Paul Blair, baseball player, 134 home runs, 1964-1980

Paul Blair

Born: 2/1/1944 in Cushing, OK, USA

Died: 12/26/2013 in Baltimore, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-09-09 | Final Game: 1980-06-20

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 168 lbs

Full name: Paul L. D. Blair

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Biography

Paul Blair, born in 1944, was a prominent American baseball player who made significant contributions to the game during his career, which spanned from 1964 to 1980. A dynamic position player, Blair played a total of 1,947 games, accumulating 1,513 hits and showcasing his power with 134 home runs. His offensive prowess was complemented by his ability to drive in runs, as he finished his career with 620 RBIs. Blair also demonstrated speed on the basepaths, recording 171 stolen bases and maintaining a batting average of .250. Blair was recognized as an All-Star on two occasions, highlighting his status as one of the top players in the league during his era. He played during a time of transition in Major League Baseball, and his skills both at the plate and in the field contributed to his teams' successes. Renowned for his defensive abilities, Blair was a key player in the outfield, known for his range and athleticism. His legacy remains significant in the annals of baseball history, as he exemplified the talent and determination of players during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1947 6042 776 1513 282 55 134 620 171 449 877 0.250 0.302 0.382 0.684 -1514.6

Career AVG .250 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .302 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 5.4% below league average.

Career SLG .382 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.684 vs. league average 0.694 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1964 BAL AL 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1965 BAL AL 119 364 49 85 19 2 5 25 8 32 52 0.234 .245 (-5%) .310 (-3%) .371 (-9%) .682 (-6%) -398.0
1966 BAL AL 133 303 35 84 20 2 6 33 5 15 36 0.277 .248 (+12%) .309 (avg) .376 (+10%) .685 (+6%) 228.3
1967 BAL AL 151 552 72 162 27 12 11 64 8 50 68 0.293 .242 (+21%) .306 (+15%) .357 (+25%) .663 (+20%) 2037.2
1968 BAL AL 141 421 48 89 22 1 7 38 4 37 60 0.211 .236 (-11%) .298 (-7%) .340 (-6%) .638 (-7%) -532.9
1969 BAL AL 150 625 102 178 32 5 26 76 20 40 72 0.285 .248 (+15%) .320 (+2%) .369 (+29%) .689 (+17%) 1729.8
1970 BAL AL 133 480 79 128 24 2 18 65 24 56 93 0.267 .253 (+5%) .325 (+6%) .385 (+14%) .711 (+10%) 939.9
1971 BAL AL 141 516 75 135 24 8 10 44 14 32 94 0.262 .249 (+5%) .316 (-3%) .365 (+9%) .682 (+3%) 145.8
1972 BAL AL 142 477 47 111 20 8 8 49 7 25 78 0.233 .243 (-5%) .310 (-14%) .353 (+1%) .664 (-6%) -790.0
1973 BAL AL 146 500 73 140 25 3 10 64 18 43 72 0.280 .256 (+9%) .325 (+3%) .378 (+6%) .703 (+5%) 380.4
1974 BAL AL 151 552 77 144 27 4 17 62 27 43 59 0.261 .256 (+2%) .324 (-4%) .369 (+13%) .693 (+5%) 371.0
1975 BAL AL 140 440 51 96 13 4 5 31 17 25 82 0.218 .257 (-15%) .327 (-21%) .374 (-20%) .701 (-21%) -1906.8
1976 BAL AL 145 375 29 74 16 0 3 16 15 22 49 0.197 .255 (-23%) .320 (-23%) .360 (-27%) .681 (-25%) -1850.2
1977 NYY AL 83 164 20 43 4 3 4 25 3 9 16 0.262 .264 (-1%) .329 (-8%) .401 (-1%) .730 (-4%) -177.6
1978 NYY AL 75 125 10 22 5 0 2 13 1 9 17 0.176 .257 (-32%) .323 (-28%) .378 (-30%) .702 (-29%) -659.8
1979 NYY AL 2 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1979 CIN NL 75 140 7 21 4 1 2 15 0 11 27 0.150 .265 (-44%) .329 (-37%) .397 (-41%) .727 (-39%) 0.0
1980 NYY AL 12 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
52 146 21 38 6 0 3 15 12 31 0.260

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1978 ALCS NYA 4 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1978 WS NYA 6 8 2 3 1 0 0 0 1 4 0.375
1977 ALCS NYA 3 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.400
1977 WS NYA 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.250
1974 ALCS BAL 4 14 3 4 0 0 1 2 2 2 0.286
1973 ALCS BAL 5 18 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.167
1971 ALCS BAL 2 9 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 3 0.333
1971 WS BAL 4 9 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.333
1970 ALCS BAL 3 13 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.077
1970 WS BAL 5 19 5 9 1 0 0 3 2 4 0.474
1969 ALCS BAL 3 15 1 6 2 0 1 6 2 2 0.400
1969 WS BAL 5 20 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 0.100
1966 WS BAL 4 6 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0.167

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
2B 5 0 2 3 1 0
3B 5 0 1 1 2 1
OF 1878 1461 4343 111 54 26
SS 4 0 1 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1964 BAL OF 6 0 2 0 0 0
1965 BAL OF 116 97 241 5 2 0
1966 BAL OF 127 79 204 4 2 2
1967 BAL OF 146 139 369 13 6 3
1968 BAL 3B 1 0 1 1 1 1
1968 BAL OF 132 100 271 10 2 2
1969 BAL OF 150 149 407 14 5 5
1970 BAL 3B 1 0 0 0 1 0
1970 BAL OF 128 117 368 10 4 3
1971 BAL OF 138 121 331 4 3 1
1972 BAL OF 139 113 337 10 3 1
1973 BAL OF 144 123 369 14 4 4
1974 BAL OF 151 136 447 7 7 2
1975 BAL 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1975 BAL OF 138 103 327 8 3 1
1976 BAL OF 139 89 327 6 7 1
1977 NYA OF 79 37 125 1 4 0
1978 NYA 2B 5 0 2 3 1 0
1978 NYA 3B 3 0 0 0 0 0
1978 NYA OF 64 20 87 2 1 1
1978 NYA SS 4 0 1 0 0 0
1979 NYA OF 2 1 6 0 0 0
1979 CIN OF 67 37 117 3 1 0
1980 NYA OF 12 0 8 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 5
Third Base 5
Shortstop 4
Left Field 31
Center Field 1802
Right Field 62
Designated Hitter 5

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1975 Gold Glove OF
1974 Gold Glove OF
1974 TSN All-Star OF
1973 Gold Glove OF
1972 Gold Glove OF
1971 Gold Glove OF
1970 Gold Glove OF
1969 Gold Glove OF
1969 TSN All-Star OF
1967 Gold Glove OF

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1974 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 27.0 336 0
1973 Most Valuable Player AL 33th 2.0 336 0
1969 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 28.0 336 0
1967 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 9.0 280 0