1962 Profile: Johnny Blanchard

"The most explosive of all 1961 pinch hitters was Johnny Blanchard, the spare-time catcher-outfielder who personally won five games with long-distance blows. He crashed a career high of 21 home runs and also had his best bag of RBIs (54) last year. His homer (as pinch swinger, naturally) tied the third game of the '61 Series

Born in Minneapolis, he was a Yankee for a brief trial in 1955, returning in '59 after additional seasoning at Birmingham and Denver."

-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook

"It took John Blanchard a long time, but when he 'made' it with the Yankees, he made it big!

The husky, handsome Minnesotan was perhaps the most dangerous hitter in the league last year. He drove in 54 runs with only 74 hits. Twenty-one of those hits were home runs. He hit four pinch homers and, in one streak, tied a record by hitting four homers in consecutive times at bat, including a pair in pinch-hitting roles.

John came into his own under his former minor league manager, now the Yankee skipper, Ralph Houk. The more he played the greater was his confidence. Each spring John came to camp worried whether he would be sent back to the minors or traded. Houk made him his number two catcher behind Howard, used him as his key left-handed pinch hitter and had John available for spot work in the outfield and at first base.

His outstanding pinch-hitting heroics carried over into last October's World Series. In the key third game, with the Yankees trailing Bob Purkey by a 2-1 score in the eighth inning, Blanchard hit a first-pitch pinch homer, making it possible for Roger Maris' ninth-inning homer to win the big game, 3-2. In World Series play (two Series, nine games), Blanchard has hit for an amazing .429 average.

Now, at the age of 29, and at last an established star, Blanchard figures prominently in the Yankee plans for 1962."

-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook

Tied major league record by hitting four home runs in four consecutive times at bat, two as a pinch hitter, 1961.

Tied World Series record for most home runs hit in a five-game Series (2), 1961.

-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

"After two seasons in the background, John Blanchard finally emerged as one of the Yankees' many stars during the 1961 campaign.

The 29-year-old backstop had a fine minor league record and would have probably moved into a first-string catching job with any other big league club, but Yogi Berra and Elston Howard were there and John had to wait for his chance. When it finally came Blanchard made the most of it.

Injuries to the aforementioned receivers in 1960 gave Johnny his first solid chance, and last season he became the club's No. 2 receiver, as Yogi moved to the outfield.

In 93 American League contests, the 6' 1", 197-pounder bombed opposing hurlers for 21 home runs and a solid .305 batting average. He drove in 54 runs and made his 74 hits, good for a total of 149 bases.

Johnny tied a major league record by hitting four home runs in four consecutive trips to the plate and barely missed hitting No. 5, a high fly ball deep to right field against the White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

The Minnesota slugger hit pinch four-baggers to give the Yanks an important pair of victories over the Red Sox during the middle of the season. Big John came through with another key pinch homer in the third game of the World Series to give the Bombers the drive that carried them to victory.

Blanchard broke into Organized Ball with the Yankees' Kansas City farm club in the American Association in 1951. He was an outfielder at the time and has spent some time on picket duty for the Bombers, as well as a brief stint filling in at first base.

In 1952, with Joplin of the Western Association, John batted .301 and was the loop's home run king with 30. After two seasons in the armed service, Blanchard returned to the diamond.

He was the Eastern League's HR king with 34 while playing for Binghamton in 1955 and appeared in one late-season contest for New York.

After a one-year hitch with Birmingham (Southern Association) and two terrific years with Denver (American Association), Blanchard was ready for the majors. Many clubs tried to induce the Yanks to trade them the lefty slugger, but New York held on to him.

In 48 games in 1959, John hit only .169 and had two homers. In '60 he was in 53 games, batted .242 and sent four balls out of the lot.

But when Elston Howard was injured in the Series, Blanchard showed his true colors under fire. He rapped Pittsburgh pitching for a .455 mark and earned his varsity shot.

With Johnny now a tried and proven veteran, the Yankees have just one more name ready and set in their new Murderers' Row."

-The 1962 Jay Publishing New York Yankees Yearbook