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March 25
⚾ Johnny Blanchard savored his position as Yankees March 25
TODAY ON THE DAILY HIGHLIGHT
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Died: March 25, 2009 in Robbinsdale, MN . . . Johnny Blanchard savored his position as the Yankees' third-string catcher for most of his career. A defensive liability, he nearly quit in 1960 when Casey Stengel considered activating 40-year-old bullpen coach Jim Hegan to back up Yogi Berra while Elston Howard was injured. Stengel reconsidered, and Blanchard responded in 1961 with adequate defense and a career-best .305, 21 HR season. Blanchard holds the record with ten World Series pinch-hitting appearances.
Blanchard hit 4 pinch-hit home runs during the regular season in 1961 and one more during the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. During that storied 1961 season, he stroked 21 homers in only 243 at-bats and hit .305. Among the 1961 Yankees, only Mantle and Maris had more homers per at bat. He continued his clutch hitting in the World Series against the Reds with a two-run pinch homer in Game 3 and another two-run shot in the fifth and final game, a contest he started. As a result, Blanchard is arguably one of the best known third-string catchers in baseball history. Overall, he appeared in the Fall Classic five consecutive years, from 1960 to 1964, and batted .345, and slugged .690 with two homers.
Blanchard's days as a Yankee were to come to an end in early May 1965. Following an exhibition game against the New York Mets, he was called into manager Johnny Keane's office and given the news he had been traded to Kansas City. John took the news hard, crying uncontrollably in the Yankee clubhouse. Mickey Mantle sat down next to Blanchard and attempted to cheer him up. "Don't take it so hard, John. Just think, in Kansas City you're going to get a chance to play." "Hell, I can't play Mick, that's why I'm crying." But Blanchard could play, especially on July 21st and 22nd of 1961 when his bat was lit by lightning! After appearing in 52 games with the A's, he was purchased by the Milwaukee Braves, with whom he played the last ten games of his career at the end of the 1965 season. Three years later, he unsuccessfully tried to make a comeback with the Atlanta Braves in spring training. For his career, he hit .239 with 67 home runs and 200 RBI.
Game of the DayOctober 7, 1961 World Series Game 3 New York Yankees vs Cincinnati Reds
Did you know?
March 25, 1978: Red Sox rookie pitcher Bobby Sprowl was shot in the right arm while sleeping in his Winter Haven hotel room; the shot came through the wall from the adjacent room and kicked off a bad season for Sprowl who was shelled by the Yankees during the "Boston Massacre" on September 10 he gave up 3 earned runs in .2 innings. Sprowl will pitch in 3 games in 1978, he tossed 12 innings and gave up 9 earned runs.
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Trivia:
In 1961 Johnny Blanchard tied the MLB record for four straight homeruns. How many different pitchers did he accomplish this against?
Hint: The answer is below
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
March 25, 1916 - An unsigned Tris Speaker arrives at the Boston Red Sox training camp in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in time for an exhibition game. Speaker goes 4 for 4 with a home run and a triple.
March 25, 1951 - Hall of Fame player/manager Eddie Collins dies in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 63. Collins batted .333 and stole 744 bases over a 25-year career, and batted .328 in six World Series with the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics.
March 25, 1965 - In spring training, Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates suffers a broken bone in his right foot. The injury will sideline the Gold Glove second baseman until May, allowing him to play in only 130 games during the regular season.
March 25, 1981 - the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies acquire veteran outfielder Gary Matthews from the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Bob Walk. Matthews will hit .301 and compile a .404 on-base percentage but will play in only 101 games in his first season with the Phillies. Atlanta's new right-hander will compile a 12-13 record with a 4.85 ERA during his three-year tenure with the club.
Quote of the day:
“With any other organization, I probably would have made the majors faster, and I might have had a longer career, but I wouldn’t trade my days with the Yankees for anything. I was truly blessed in that regard.” - Johnny Blanchard
MILESTONES
Birthday Boys
Howard Cosell, Woodie Held and Jim Britton
Debuts
Final Games
None Today
Passings
Eddie Collins, Johnny Blanchard, Curt Barclay, and Bobby Brown
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Trivia Answer:
Three.
On July 21, 1961, the Yankees trailed the Boston Red Sox, 9-8, going into the top of the 9th when Blanchard, pinch-hitting for Clete Boyer, hit a grand slam off right-hander Mike Fornieles to give the Bombers a 12-9 victory. The following day, the Yanks were again down, 9-8, when Blanchard, pinch-hitting again for Boyer, homered off Gene Conley to tie the score as the Yanks went on to win. A couple of days later, against the Chicago White Sox, he homered in consecutive at-bats against Ray Herbert. His four home runs on four straight at-bats tied a major league record.
