PAUL LINDBLAD
1941 – 2006
Inducted 2008

A member of three World Series championship teams, Paul Aaron Lindblad was one of the most effective left-handed middle-relief pitchers in major league baseball from 1965-78. When he retired in 1978, Lindblad had recorded the seventh-most appearances (655) of any left-hander in history. He set a major league record by going from 1966 to 1974 without making an error in 385 games. Lindblad was signed by Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent in 1963 and made his major league debut on September 15, 1965. Lindblad pitched 14 seasons, his last game coming for the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1978 World Series. He was part of two World Series championship teams in Oakland, pitching the ninth and 10th innings to win an 11-inning game over the New York Mets in 1973. Lindblad finished his career with a 68-63 record, 64 saves and a 3.29 earned runaverage. He pitched for the Kansas City Athletics (1965-67), Oakland Athletics (1968-71 and 1973-76); Washington Senators (1971); Texas Rangers (1972 and 1977-78); and New York Yankees (1978). Lindblad was the last pitcher faced by Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the 1973 World Series. On the final day of the 1975 regular season against the California Angels, Lindblad combined with Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott and Rollie Fingers on a no-hitter. He was named to the American League All-Star Team in 1975. Inducted into the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. Born August 9, 1941 – Chanute, Kansas; Died January 1, 2006 – Arlington, Texas. Graduated Chanute H.S., 1959; Chanute Junior College, 1961.