Paul Blair, the eight-time Gold Glove centre fielder who he

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BALTIMORE -- Paul Blair, the eight-time Gold Glove centre fielder who helped the Baltimore Orioles win a pair of World Series titles while gliding to make catches that former teammates still marvel at more than four decades later, has died. Nike Air Max 90 Mujer . He was 69. Blair died Thursday night at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Blairs wife, Gloria, told The Baltimore Sun, that Blair played a round of golf with friends Thursday morning and later lost consciousness at a celebrity bowling tournament in Pikesville. "Paul was honestly too tired, but he never says no," Gloria Blair told the newspaper. "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), but the doctors there told me they never got a pulse." A member of the Orioles Hall of Fame, the popular Blair patrolled the outfield from 1964-76, playing key parts when Baltimore won its first two World Series crowns in 1966 and 1970. He won two more titles with the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and also played for Cincinnati. In an era before highlight reels were a daily staple on TV, Blair frequently made catches that became the talk of baseball. Thin and quick, he played with a flair -- at the end of an inning, he would tuck his glove up against his chest for a regal trot back to the dugout. "He played very shallow. People talked about how Willie Mays played shallow, and Paul did the same thing. He played with assuredness," Don Buford, an All-Star left fielder who played alongside Blair for five seasons in Baltimore, told The Associated Press late Thursday night. "When you talk about the greatest defensive centre fielders, he was right in the mix," Buford said. "With me in left and Frank Robinson in right, we played toward the lines and gave him a lot of room. He could really go get it." In 17 seasons in the majors, he hit .250 with 134 home runs, 620 RBIs and 171 stolen bases. Blair appeared in six World Series, two All-Star games and won Gold Gloves in 1967 and 1969-75. In the 1966 World Series, Blair homered for the only run in Baltimores Game 3 victory over Los Angeles. The underdog Orioles completed an unlikely sweep the next day, with Blair jumping high above the fence at Memorial Stadium to snare Jim Lefebvres bid for a tying home run in the eighth inning. It was a timely grab, too -- Blair had just been inserted in the game as a defensive replacement. Blair caught a routine fly by Lou Johnson with two runners on base for the final out in a 1-0 victory in Game 4, and leaped high in the air after the clinching grab to begin Baltimores celebration. Blair led the Orioles in the 1970 World Series with a .474 average in Baltimores five-game victory over Cincinnati. That year, he hit three home runs and had six RBIs in a game against the Chicago White Sox. Beaned by a pitch in late May that season, Blair came back from the injury to boost the Birds. Ever mindful of being hit in the face, he would shield his face at first base when retreating to the bag on pickoff throws. "It affected his hitting a little bit after that, but not his fielding," Buford said. Inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1984, Blair coached Fordham in 1983 and at Coppin State from 1998-2002. He had a heart attack in December 2009. Blair played baseball and basketball and ran track at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. Blair was originally drafted by the New York Mets and spent one season in their minor league system. The Orioles drafted him from the Mets in late 1962. He fit neatly into a team built on strong defence -- led by third baseman Brooks Robinson -- and pitching, and Baltimore reached the World Series four times in six years. He was surrounded by stars, yet a picture or drawing of Blair often made the cover of the Orioles game programs. Friendly in the clubhouse, he was called "Motormouth" for his constant banter. "Hed be talking about something, and maybe youd get two words in, and then hed be off starting another conversation," Buford recalled. Adidas Zx 750 Outlet .C. -- Al Jefferson thinks hes finally figured out the NBA game. New Balance Baratas Online . Then Ryan Raburn came to the plate and did what he usually does against the Chicago White Sox. Raburn hit a tiebreaking single and David Murphy drove in four runs, leading the Indians to a 12-6 victory over the White Sox.The Edmonton Oilers have another top-10 draft pick and with that comes another chance to build around its young core. The Oilers have the third selection in Friday nights first round, a year after taking Darnell Nurse seventh and two years removed from a streak of three consecutive No. 1 picks. But even with forwards Nail Yakupov (2012), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Taylor Hall (2010) and Jordan Eberle (23rd in 2008) in the fold, Edmonton isnt in a position to be position specific. "Youre just trying to get the best available player you can," head amateur scout Stu MacGregor said in a phone interview. "And if you end up with too many of one kind of player, it would then be up to management to trade whichever asset you have to attain something else at a different position." General manager Craig MacTavish has made no secret of his desire to acquire a puck-moving defenceman this off-season, which isnt exactly a unique need in todays NHL. The No. 3 pick isnt likely the place do that, unless it becomes a trade chip. The Oilers hosted defenceman Aaron Ekblad, centres Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart and multi-purpose forward Leon Draisaitl recently, MacTavish said in a radio appearance on AM-630 in Edmonton. Two of those players are sure to be available third overall, though Ekblad — a pro-ready two-way defenceman — is considered the likely No. 1 pick to Florida or whichever team trades for it. With Hall and Eberle taking up top-six wing spots, there could be room for Bennett or Reinhart, perhaps even right away, behind Nugent-Hopkins. MacTavish wants to fill in his top three lines so that grinders like Matt Hendricks and Boyd Gordon can slide down the lineup. NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said during the scouting combine that he sees this draft as being full of players to stock the bottom half of teams rosters. Adidas Originals Zx Flux Baratas. The top-end talent is limited, but Marr thinks there are plenty of prospects with long-term staying power as role players. At No. 3, or if they move down slightly, the Oilers should be able to get a difference-maker. While not as good as the "incredible" 2013 crop, MacGregor thinks the top 10 players available are strong. After the first round, things get murky for the Oilers. They dont have a second-round pick — sent to the St. Louis Blues last year for winger David Perron — or a third-round pick — sent to the Los Angeles Kings in January for goaltender Ben Scrivens. MacTavish said on AM-630 that hes not in a position to trade assets to get draft picks, certainly not after dealing some away for more immediate help. With two fourth- and two fifth-rounders, Edmonton can continue to stock the cupboard, although the team hasnt unearthed a full-time NHL player beyond the third round in a decade. Unrestricted free agency will likely go a longer way toward determining the Oilers 2014-15 roster than this draft, and the chances the team has of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2006 when it went to the Stanley Cup final. MacTavish said the Oilers will chase some of the bigger names available but are more specifically looking for secondary help behind the primary pieces already in place. As trade talk heats up — MacTavish said hed had "some fairly intriguing conversations" about moving up and down from the third pick — the Oilers are in position to add salary. MacTavish hopes they can give up less by doing that and improve in the immediate future. --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter cheap jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '