Paul Blair, a center fielder who starred for Earl Weaver’s teams in Baltimore, died yesterday. He was 69.
He was a league-average hitter but defensive wizard. Blair flashed the leather for great Oriole teams from 1964–76, then played for the Yankees and Reds. He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1984.
Blair collapsed during a charitable bowling tournament in Pikesville, Md. yesterday, according to his wife. He was rushed to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore but never regained consciousness.