William Ellsworth Blair (September 17, 1863 – February 22, 1890) was an American professional baseball player. He played in the major-league American Association in 1888 for the Philadelphia Athletics. A left-handed pitcher who batted from the left side, Blair had a listed playing weight of 172 pounds (78 kg).
| Bill Blair | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: September 17, 1863 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: February 22, 1890 (aged 26) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 19, 1888, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 23, 1888, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 1–3 |
| Strikeouts | 16 |
| Earned run average | 2.61 |
| Teams | |
Career edit
During an eight-year career as a professional, Blair spent one season in the major leagues. He started four games for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association in 1888, winning one and losing three. His 2.61 ERA was better than the league average, and he was also a positive contributor with the bat, posting a .308 batting average, .357 on-base percentage, and .385 slugging percentage in fourteen plate appearances.
Illness and death edit
Blair had signed a contract to spend the 1890 season with the Chicago Cubs, but he died as a result of illness before games began, during the first outbreak of the 1889–1890 pandemic. His obituary listed the cause of death as "influenza, which turned into pneumonia and typhoid fever".[1]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Death Of A Ball Player Archived September 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine", The New York Times, published February 23, 1890, accessed August 21, 2006.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)