 His best year was 1997, in which he had 16–8 record and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.17.In 1999, Blair was the starting pitcher for the final Opening Day in Tiger Stadium history.He was the pitching coach for the Fort Wayne TinCaps for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and on December 11, 2012, he was named bullpen coach of the San Diego Padres, replacing Jimmy Jones.