Greats Of Baltimore Orioles History: Paul Blair

This week the Baltimore Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week is an outfielder that patrolled centerfield with grace while also providing the Orioles with timely hitting for more than a decade. On a team that built its strength through pitching and defense, Paul Blair fit perfectly. He is one of seven members of the Orioles from that era who won at least three Gold Gloves and is tied with Mark Belanger for the second most in team history.Arguably the best defensive outfielder of his generation, Blair won eight Gold Gloves during a nine-year stretch, a total eclipsed by only five outfielders in baseball history. Possessing great speed, he could play shallow to swallow-up short balls, and then use his speed to track down deep flies.After playing briefly late in the 1964 season, Blair became the starting centerfielder for the Orioles in 1965 and quickly established himself as a defensive standout.In the 1966 World Series, Blair used both his glove and bat to help the Orioles ...