Paul Blair dead at 69

[Danzz]

Collapsed at a charity bowling tournament. One of the best CF and nobody played more shallow than Blair on one of the better defensive teams in baseball history that included Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger and Boog Powell.

 

[Fishy]

I'm sorry to hear that.

When I was six or seven, I met Paul Blair at some meet and greet thing and got his autograph.

Autographs were never my thing, so I have exactly three - Mariano Rivera, Reggie Jackson and Paul Blair.

 

[mauconnfan]

Loved Paul Blair…….even when he was an Oriole as a Yankee fan and they were destroying my guys he was fun to watch in the OF……not a lot as smooth as that guy - he was a gazelle running them down! 2 rings as a Yank too……

RIP Paul Blair

 

[methodology]

Top 5 defensive CF in baseball history IMO. If not for being hit in the face/head with a fastball in I believe 1970 he might have been a HOF. He was never the same hitter after that beaning

That Orioles team was ridiculous. Greatest defensive SS in history, 3rd baseman in history and a CF that could hold his own too.

And of course the four 20 game winners.

RIP Blair
McNally
Cuellar
Hendricks
Dobson
Belanger
Flanagan

 

[Waquoit]

That Orioles team was ridiculous. Greatest defensive SS in history, 3rd baseman in history and a CF that could hold his own too.

Ehh. They got their asses kicked by the Mets.

 

[mauconnfan]

methodology is right on except for Belanger…..the Berkshires SS was certainly a top defensive player all time but not in the Ozzie mold I'm afraid. Even Vizquel stands out to me over the years when he was healthy…….

 

[methodology]

You might be underrating The Blade's defensive prowess and way overrating Vizquel.

Career dWar rankings for SS in their career goes:

1. Ozzie (1st among all positions for career dwar): 43.4 (19 years)
2. Belanger (2nd among all positions players): 39.4 (18 years)
3. Ripken (4th): 34.6 (21 years)
4. Aparicio (6th): 31.6 (18 years)
5. Vizquel (tied 10th): 28.4 (24 years)

Since dWar is a counting stat the more years you play the higher total you can accumulate. Vizquel is a great defensive SS but not in the conversation with Ozzie and Blade.

Only reason I take the Blade over Ozzie is the Blade had 6 years where he had a dWar of 3.5 or higher including 3 years of 4.0 or higher. Ozzie only had 2 years 3.5 and 4.7. If you go to years or 3.0> Ozzie has 5 years and the Blade has 7 years.

If you then look at all time single season for highest dWar you will see Belangers name all over the top of the leaderboard. Andrelton Simmons is #1 with the year he had last year among all positions with a 5.4.

Blade comes in at 4th (among all positions) with a 4.9, 8th (4.4), 18th (4.0), 26th (3.9), 39th (3.7), 60th (3.5), 69th (3.4)
Ozzie at 5th (4.7), 60th (3.5), 69th (3.4), 69th (3.4) had 2 years of 3.4 that ties him for 69th spot, 129th (3.1)

Ozzie played in 55o more games than Belanger yet only has 4 dWar more than Belanger. If you took dWar/ Games played and then multiplied it by 550 that would equate to 10.5 more in dWar for Belanger giving him a total of 49.9 vs Ozzie 43.4. Since its a counting stat a player who plays more games will benefit. Belanger wasn't a full time player his first 3 years or last 2 years. Ozzie was a full time player his entire career until his last 2-3 years.

Its a great conversation and debate to have but I think Belanger was slightly better than Ozzie defensively. Ozzie was flashier but The Blade was more consistent and consistently played at a higher level in the field IMO

 

[methodology]

Ehh. They got their asses kicked by the Mets.

Damn those 69 Amazin Mets. That series still haunts my father

 

[mauconnfan]

You might be underrating The Blade's defensive prowess and way overrating Vizquel.

Career dWar rankings for SS in their career goes:

1. Ozzie (1st among all positions for career dwar): 43.4 (19 years)
2. Belanger (2nd among all positions players): 39.4 (18 years)
3. Ripken (4th): 34.6 (21 years)
4. Aparicio (6th): 31.6 (18 years)
5. Vizquel (tied 10th): 28.4 (24 years)

Since dWar is a counting stat the more years you play the higher total you can accumulate. Vizquel is a great defensive SS but not in the conversation with Ozzie and Blade.

Only reason I take the Blade over Ozzie is the Blade had 6 years where he had a dWar of 3.5 or higher including 3 years of 4.0 or higher. Ozzie only had 2 years 3.5 and 4.7. If you go to years or 3.0> Ozzie has 5 years and the Blade has 7 years.

If you then look at all time single season for highest dWar you will see Belangers name all over the top of the leaderboard. Andrelton Simmons is #1 with the year he had last year among all positions with a 5.4.

Blade comes in at 4th (among all positions) with a 4.9, 8th (4.4), 18th (4.0), 26th (3.9), 39th (3.7), 60th (3.5), 69th (3.4)
Ozzie at 5th (4.7), 60th (3.5), 69th (3.4), 69th (3.4) had 2 years of 3.4 that ties him for 69th spot, 129th (3.1)

Ozzie played in 55o more games than Belanger yet only has 4 dWar more than Belanger. If you took dWar/ Games played and then multiplied it by 550 that would equate to 10.5 more in dWar for Belanger giving him a total of 49.9 vs Ozzie 43.4. Since its a counting stat a player who plays more games will benefit. Belanger wasn't a full time player his first 3 years or last 2 years. Ozzie was a full time player his entire career until his last 2-3 years.

Its a great conversation and debate to have but I think Belanger was slightly better than Ozzie defensively. Ozzie was flashier but The Blade was more consistent and consistently played at a higher level in the field IMO

Again, all good Belanger a WesMass dude and a sure glove. I can only go by what I saw, you can go by stats but Ripken wasn't as good as Vizquel either so those numbers mean very little to me. Luis was real good too but Omar was real close to Ozzie as far as the magic. Belanger had tremendous hand s and very good range but not like these guys. He's in the conversation no doubt but I throw out those war-things……..I don't even like Vizquel but a true magician.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Again, all good Belanger a WesMass dude and a sure glove. I can only go by what I saw, you can go by stats but Ripken wasn't as good as Vizquel either so those numbers mean very little to me. Luis was real good too but Omar was real close to Ozzie as far as the magic. Belanger had tremendous hand s and very good range but not like these guys. He's in the conversation no doubt but I throw out those war-things……..I don't even like Vizquel but a true magician.

Belanger was all set to attend UConn on a basketball scholarship in the mid 60's but decided to go with baseball at the last minute. He would have been part of the team with Kimball, Wes B. and company. His brother Al played baseball at UConn. Don't recall if he lettered but he did play.

 

[mauconnfan]

Belanger was all set to attend UConn on a basketball scholarship in the mid 60's but decided to go with baseball at the last minute. He would have been part of the team with Kimball, Wes B. and company. His brother Al played baseball at UConn. Don't recall if he lettered but he did play.

That's pretty cool stuff - thought I read that in a recent article in the Sunday republican as they remembered Belanger and mentioned UConn and hoops……..he was supposedly a real good player up in the Pittsfield area

 

[LIUCHusky]

That's pretty cool stuff - thought I read that in a recent article in the Sunday republican as they remembered Belanger and mentioned UConn and hoops……..he was supposedly a real good player up in the Pittsfield area

If I recall correctly, his team played a Hartford team in the Boston Garden for the New England Championship.

I'm wrong about him playing a Hartford team as Connecticut had dropped out of the tournament by that time.

 

[Danzz]

Again, all good Belanger a WesMass dude and a sure glove. I can only go by what I saw, you can go by stats but Ripken wasn't as good as Vizquel either so those numbers mean very little to me. Luis was real good too but Omar was real close to Ozzie as far as the magic. Belanger had tremendous hand s and very good range but not like these guys. He's in the conversation no doubt but I throw out those war-things……..I don't even like Vizquel but a true magician.

Ripken didn't have the range of the others on that list. Best ever? I'd go with Vizquel #1. If I had a choice of any SS I'd probably go with Aparicio.