Johnny Blanchard signed American League Baseball For Sale

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Johnny Blanchard signed American League Baseball:
$32.00

BIG POPPA\'S COLLECTIBLES:Johnny Blanchard Autographed Baseball. Ball is in good condition. Comes with a plastic holder (case).COA From Allan George Enterprises. Signed as \"Johnny Blanchard\" on an Official American League baseball (Gene A. Budig Pres.)
John Edwin Blanchard(February 26, 1933 – March 25, 2009) was an American professional Baseballcatcher and outfielder. He played in MAJOR League Baseball(MLB) for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, and Milwaukee Braves.

He played semi-professional baseball in Iowa before being signed by the New York Yankeesto a professional contract. After three seasons of playing in the minor leagues, and a two-year period in which he served in the U.S. Army, Blanchard played briefly for the Yankees in 1955. It took Blanchard four years to return to the major leagues, but he gained playing time in 1960 due to injuries to the Yankees\' top two catchers.Sportswriter Bill Maddencalled Blanchard \"probably the most famous third-string catcher in baseball history.\"Blanchard remained with the Yankees through 1965, mainly serving as a backup catcher, and played 93 games during the team\'s World Serieswinning 1961 season, hitting 21 home runs.Among those were four home runs in consecutive at-bats (twice as a pinch hitter) during a three-game span, a total that set a major league record.Blanchard was quoted as saying, \"Who am I to hit five?\"

A defensive liability for the Yankees for most of his career, Blanchard is probably best known for his play in the 1961 World Series. He hit two home runs in that series against the Cincinnati Redsand batted .400 for the entire series.In his career, Blanchard appeared in the World Seriesfive times for the Yankees and holds the major league record with ten World Series pinch-hit at-bats. Blanchard was the catcher who called the pitch that Bill Mazerowskihit for the first-ever series-ending home run, which was hit off Ralph Terryin the1960 World Seriesin which thePittsburgh Piratesdefeated the heavily favored Yankees.