Seth Blair
Seth A. Blair (born March 3, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He plays in Minor League Baseball as a member of the San Diego Padres organization. Prior to playing professionally, he pitched collegiately for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Seth Blair | |||
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San Diego Padres | |||
Pitcher | |||
Born: Rock Falls, Illinois | March 3, 1989|||
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Career
Blair attended Rock Falls High School, where he starred for the school's baseball team. He was also invited to compete in tournaments, including the 2005 Junior Olympics.[1] He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 47th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, but opted to attend college rather than sign with the Athletics.[2] He then enrolled at Arizona State University, where he played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pacific-10 Conference. He formed a strong starting rotation along with Mike Leake and Josh Spence.[3] In 2009, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] In 2010, he was named the Pacific-10 Pitcher of the Year,[3][5] and an All-American according to the American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America.[6]
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Blair in the first round, with the 46th overall selection, of the 2010 MLB Draft. At the time of the draft, he had a 12–0 win–loss record, a 3.06 earned run average (ERA), 98 strikeouts and 22 walks in 97 innings pitched for the Sun Devils that season.[5] He finished his Arizona State career with a 23–5 record.[3] Blair signed with the Cardinals.[7] In 2011, he had a 6–3 win-loss record with a 5.29 ERA for the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League. The team dismissed Blair during their postseason for violating team rules.[8]
Out of spring training in 2012, the Cardinals assigned Blair to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. In April 2012, following pain experienced while throwing, Blair was diagnosed with an enchondroma, a benign tumor in a joint of his middle finger on his pitching hand.[8][9] He returned to Palm Beach late in the season, recording a 5.40 ERA in 19 2⁄3 innings.[8] After the 2012 season, the Cardinals assigned him to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League, where he had a 2-1 record, a 2.25 ERA, 22 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 20 innings pitched.[3][10] Blair pitched for the Springfield Cardinals of the Class AA Texas League in 2013, where he had a 5.07 ERA in 22 starts, but finished strong in his final seven starts. He was assigned to Springfield to start the 2014 season.[11]
Personal
Blair's father, Al, played college baseball for Southern Illinois University and Illinois State University. His brother, Shane, played baseball as a catcher on the Rock Falls high school team.[1] [3]
References
- Larkin, Will (April 22, 2007). "All eyes on Seth Blair". SaukValley.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- "Cardinals Draft Blair". mystateline.com. June 8, 2010. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- Martinez, Robert (November 22, 2012). "Rock Falls graduate regains control in Arizona: Blair fall pitching project". SaukValley.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
- "#34 Seth Blair". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- "ASU's top starter plucked by Cards | cardinals.com: News". Mlb.mlb.com. March 27, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- "NCAA Baseball Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- "St. Louis Cardinals sign Seth Blair, former Arizona State star". Azcentral.com. Associated Press. July 30, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- Goold, Derrick (September 16, 2012). "Cards prospect Blair battles back from tumor : Sports". Stltoday.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- Reynolds, Ty (July 3, 2012). "Rock Falls native Seth Blair on road back from injury". SaukValley.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- Goold, Derrick (October 24, 2012). "Cards prospects Blair, Siegrist find footing in Arizona : Sports". Stltoday.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- Booher, Kary (April 1, 2014). "Petrick leads the way for Springfield rotation". News-leader.com. Retrieved April 15, 2014.