From the Yankees
Former Yankee Johnny Blanchard passed away this morning at the age of 76 in Minnesota.
Blanchard made his major-league debut with the club in 1955 at the age of 22. He appeared in 454 games in pinstripes over eight seasons (1955, ’59-65), batting .245 with 34 doubles, 64 home runs and 187 RBIs, seeing time as a catcher, first baseman and outfielder.
He is one of four players in franchise history to hit a home run in four consecutive at-bats, accomplishing the feat over three games from July 21-26, 1961. A member of five American League pennant-winning teams from 1960-64 with the Yankees, Blanchard played on World Series championship teams in 1961 and 1962. In five World Series, he batted .345 (10-for-29) with six runs, four doubles, two home runs and five RBI.
Yogi Berra: “This is a sad day. Johnny was a good friend and a great teammate. He was proud of being a Yankee and always fun to be around. We’ll miss him.”
Moose Skowron: “He was a great guy. He loved people and did a lot for charity. I’ll never forget the year Yogi, Elston (Howard) and Blanch all hit over 20 homers. He was a key member of that 1961 team and had two clutch homers for us against the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. I remember we were both signed by the same scout, Joe McDermott. I felt a lot of pride knowing that. He will be missed.”
Bobby Richardson: “He was a great teammate, friend and a true gentleman. He loved the game. Tony Kubek and I were just in New York and spent some time with Johnny. He was a great friend and I’ll miss him tremendously.”
Bob Turley: “Johnny was a funny guy and a great storyteller. He was always happy. Everyone loved him and loved being around him. He was one heck of a hitter, too.”
Ralph Houk: “Johnny was a true Yankee, there’s no doubt about that. Everyone liked him. He would do anything it took to help win a ballgame. He would catch, pinch-hit or go play the outfield if it meant the team had a better chance to win.”