Paul Lindblad

Who was Paul Lindblad?

Paul Aaron Lindblad was an American Major League Baseball left-handed middle-relief pitcher. During his career, he pitched primarily for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics. At the time of his retirement in 1978, he had recorded the seventh-most appearances of any left-hander in history.

Lindblad was born in Chanute, Kansas. A member of two World Series championship teams, he was a solid left-handed specialist in the American League for 14 seasons. A very fine fielder as well, he set a major league record by going from 1966 to 1974 without making an error in 385 games.

Lindblad was signed by the Kansas City Athletics in 1962, who moved to Oakland in 1968. His most productive season came in 1969, when he posted career highs with nine wins and nine saves. A year later he followed with an 8–2 mark, and in the 1971 midseason he was traded to the Washington Senators, who became the Texas Rangers a year later. With Texas, he led American League pitchers with 66 appearances in 1972. He returned to Oakland at the end of the season.

Lindblad was the winning pitcher for Oakland in Game Three of the 1973 World Series against the New York Mets, by working shutout baseball in the ninth and tenth innings. In the 10th, he became the last pitcher faced by future Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who grounded out as a pinch-hitter.