Former Yankees catcher Johnny Blanchard dies at 76

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Johnny Blanchard, who played in five consecutive World Series for the New York Yankees in the early 1960s, died Wednesday of a heart attack in Minnesota. He was 76.
A key player off the bench when the Yankees won five AL pennants from 1960-64, Blanchard batted .345 (10-for-29) in the World Series overall and hit a pair of home runs as New York defeated Cincinnati in the 1961 Series.
“This is a sad day,” Hall of Famer Yogi Berra said. “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.”
Blanchard was among the fan favorites at the Yankees’ fantasy camps, held twice a year at the team’s spring training complex.
“Johnny was a funny guy and a great storyteller,” former Yankees pitcher Bob Turley said. “He was always happy. Everybody loved him and loved being around him.”

Blanchard was signed by the Yankees in 1951 and made his major league debut four years later at 22. He is one of four players in Yankees history to homer in four consecutive at-bats, accomplishing the feat over three games from July 21-26, 1961.
“He would do anything it took to help win a ballgame,” said Ralph Houk, who managed the Yankees from 1961-63. “Johnny was a true Yankee, there’s no doubt about that.”

RIP Johnny

I remember Johnny Blanchard and that 61 World Series well. The Yanks were loaded with talent led by the M and M boys Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Blanchard came up big in game three played in old Crosely Field in Cincinnati when he came up in the 8th as a pinch hitter and parked a Bob Purkey knuckleball into the right field bleachers tieing the game at two. Then in the top of the 9th Roger Maris hit his 62nd homer of that season (also off Purkey) to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead which held up thanks to some clutch relief pitching by Louis Arroyo.

The Yanks won the series easily afther that 4 games to 1. Blanchard had three hits including a double and a homer in a 13-5 Yankee rout in game five that ended the one sided series.

The Reds were led by the great Frank Robinson but were no match for the powerful Yanks.


RIP. Johnny Blanchard.


wil.

I remember when Mantle and Maris were going for 61 HR's, Blanchard was also hitting the ball well and helped the '61 Yankees break the team HR record of the 1927 Yankees.

he was a good player.