Paul Blair (1944-2013)

Former Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees outfielder Paul Blair died suddenly yesterday. He was 69.

Blair’s wife, Gloria, told the Baltimore Sun that he collapsed while bowling.

“During a practice round, he threw two or three balls, then sat down and told a friend, ‘I feel funny’ and kind of collapsed. He lost consciousness and they called 911 and the ambulance took him to [Sinai Hospital], but the doctors there told me they never got a pulse. I was told he died around 6:45 p.m.”.

Blair spent most of his Major League career with the Orioles, where he won eight Gold Gloves and two of his four World Series rings. At the end of his career, he joined the Yankees and was part of two more Wold Series championship teams. Blair signed his first professional contract with the New York Mets organization in 1961, but was left unprotected and lost in the 1962 first-year draft without ever playing for New York’s National League team.

According to Baseball Reference, 88 other former Major League players passed away in 2013. Among them were Hall of Famer Stan Musial (Jan. 19th), original Met Ed Bouchee (Jan. 23rd), 1980 Met Mario Ramirez (Feb. 22nd), Virgil “Fire” Trucks (March 23rd), former Chicago Cub & Boston Red Sox Frank Castillo (July 28), and former Chicago Cub and Milwaukee Brave Andy Pafko (Oct. 8th).

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