Johnny Blanchard, RIP

[GA Russell]

I remember Johnny Blanchard well, because Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese had the Yankees game almost every week. I'm pretty sure I had his bubble gum card. I remember Blanchard as Yogi Berra's backup at catcher, frequently used as a pinch hitter.

From the LA Times:

Johnny Blanchard, 76, who played on five World Series- winning teams with the New York Yankees and was nicknamed "Super-Sub" for his versatility, died Wednesday of a heart attack at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minn.

Born in Minneapolis on Feb. 26, 1933, Blanchard starred in football, basketball and baseball at the city's Central High School. He was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent on July 3, 1951.

He was with the Bronx Bombers from 1959 to 1965 and played several positions, including left and right field, first base and catcher. A pinch-hitting specialist, he holds the record for World Series pinch hits with 10. He hit .345 in the Yankees' five straight World Series appearances from 1960 through 1964.

His best full season with the Yankees came in 1961, when he hit .305 with 21 home runs and 54 RBIs in 93 games. He hit four straight home runs over a three-game period to tie a major league record.

His Yankee tenure came to an end May 3, 1965, when he was traded with Rollie Sheldon to the Kansas City Athletics for Doc Edwards. He played 52 games with the A's before finishing the 1965 season with the Milwaukee Braves. He retired at the end of the season.

With the Yankees, he was a close friend of center fielder Mickey Mantle and was one of the honorary pallbearers at his funeral in 1995.

[ValerieB]

i remember him fairly well, primarily because he was so good-looking and had gorgeous eyes. seemed when the team was in Boston, Mickey, Yogi, Don Larsen and Blanchard would all hang at this tavern after games where i and a girlfriend or two would be (even though we weren't old enough to drink)!! never got denied service either!! given how many drinks i remember downing over a period of hours, they must have been watered down which was lucky for me. i was drinking V.O. and ginger ale. can you imagine. then we graduated to scotches. we were still in high school and had no business being there but we were thrilled beyond. should have written a book!! i think most already know what a dirty mouth Mickey had with young girls. he didn't keep it a secret although he should have!