Paul Blair spent his first 13 seasons in the Majors with the Baltimore Orioles and was on two championship teams of 1964 and 1970. Blair joined the New York Yankees at the right time as he put on the pinstripes starting in 1977, the Yankees first World Series title winning team since 1962. Blair wore this Wilson size 42 Yankees button-down home pinstripe jersey during the 1978 season, best remembered for New York’s late season surge that saw them catch the Red Sox, forcing a one-game playoff that was won on Bucky Dent’s improbable three-run home run. This offered jersey was worn by Blair during Game 4 of the 1978 World Series at Yankee Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Blair scored the Yankees tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Thurman Munson double and also chipped in with two hits of his own as the Yankees won Game 4 in 10 innings 4-3 to tie the series at two games apiece.

This jersey features the famous interlocking “NY” sewn on the upper left chest. Blair’s number “2” has been sewn on the back in the same navy tackle twill. The Wilson tag is sewn on the bottom front left tail and the inside of the jersey has an inner lining that runs around the collar and down both sides of the buttons. The inner collar has a partial team strip tag that has “SCAF” hand written in faded black marker on the left and on the removed portion of the tag and “78 1” embroidered on the remaining tag. The left sleeve has remnants of a black armband that was removed, making this possible that it could have been issued to Bobby Murcer on his return to the Yankees in 1979 as that would have coincided with Murcer’s being assigned the number “2” and the passing of Thurman Munson. The Yankees did not wear black armbands during the 1978 season. This jersey shows heavy use with numerous stains and the jersey has toned to a cream color. The sewn on “NY” and the “2” also display fading. This jersey has been photo matched to Game 4 of the 1978 World Series by Resolution Photomatching and a corresponding LOA will accompany this item along with a LOA from noted game used jersey expert Dave Miedema.

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