1970 Topps #285 Paul Blair
About Paul Blair
Blair hit three home runs against the White Sox on April 29, 1970. A pitch from Ken Tatum struck his face on May 31, causing fractures that sidelined him for three weeks. He returned to finish with a .267 average and 18 homers, then went 9-for-19 in the World Series. His third-series Topps card was #285.
Paul Blair won eight Gold Gloves as an outfielder and played for Baltimore's American League pennant winners of 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971. Originally signed by the Mets as a shortstop in 1961, he moved to the outfield and was drafted by the Orioles the following year. He played a shallow center field, relying on his ability to retreat on fly balls. His seventeen major league seasons also included the Yankees and Reds, and he finished with 1,513 hits and a .250 average. Stockton manager Harry Dunlop gave him the nickname Motormouth in 1963 because he talked so much. After his playing career, Blair coached at Fordham and worked as a professional outfield instructor. Baltimore inducted him into its team Hall of Fame in 1984.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 261 | 4 | 57 | 160 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 13 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #387 Baltimore Orioles
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- #199 A.L. Playoff Game 1 - Orioles Win a Squeaker!
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1970 Topps #285 card?
It is card #285 of the 720-card 1970 Topps Baseball set, picturing Paul Blair of the Baltimore Orioles.
How many cards are in the 1970 Topps Baseball set?
720 cards, tracked as 726 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 720 with none skipped, issued in seven series - #1-132, #133-263, #264-372, #373-459, #460-546, #547-633 and the high numbers, #634-720; 6 cards, all of them checklists, carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.