Johnny Blanchard
Born: 2/26/1933 in Minneapolis, MN, USA
Died: 3/25/2009 in Robbinsdale, MN, USA
MLB Debut: 1955-09-25 | Final Game: 1965-09-27
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 193 lbs
Full name: John Edwin Blanchard
Biography
Johnny Blanchard, born in 1933, was a professional baseball player who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball during his career from 1955 to 1965. Primarily serving as a position player, Blanchard played in a total of 516 games, where he showcased his hitting ability with 285 hits and an impressive 67 home runs. His power at the plate resulted in 200 RBIs, and he concluded his career with a batting average of .239. Despite the challenges of the era, which included the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded game, Blanchard carved out a notable niche in the sport.
Blanchard was known for his versatility and ability to perform in critical situations, often demonstrating a knack for delivering clutch hits. He was part of an exciting period in baseball history that saw the emergence of new talent and changing playing styles. While his stolen bases were limited to 2, his overall contributions to his teams went beyond just raw numbers, as he was a reliable player both offensively and defensively. Blanchard’s legacy remains as a testament to the spirit of competition and resilience that characterized baseball in the mid-20th century.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 516 | 1193 | 137 | 285 | 36 | 2 | 67 | 200 | 2 | 136 | 163 | 0.239 | 0.317 | 0.441 | 0.758 | 1762.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | NYY | AL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | NYY | AL | 49 | 59 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0.169 | -237.8 |
| 1960 | NYY | AL | 53 | 99 | 8 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 0.242 | -32.0 |
| 1961 | NYY | AL | 93 | 243 | 38 | 74 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 54 | 1 | 27 | 28 | 0.305 | 1666.2 |
| 1962 | NYY | AL | 93 | 246 | 33 | 57 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 39 | 0 | 28 | 32 | 0.232 | 32.4 |
| 1963 | NYY | AL | 76 | 218 | 22 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 45 | 0 | 26 | 30 | 0.225 | 459.7 |
| 1964 | NYY | AL | 77 | 161 | 18 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 1 | 24 | 24 | 0.255 | 376.9 |
| 1965 | KC1 | AL | 52 | 120 | 10 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 0.200 | -503.2 |
| 1965 | ATL | NL | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.100 | -503.2 |
| 1965 | NYY | AL | 12 | 34 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0.147 | -503.2 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 29 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0.345 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | WS | NYA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.250 |
| 1963 | WS | NYA | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1962 | WS | NYA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| 1961 | WS | NYA | 4 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.400 |
| 1960 | WS | NYA | 5 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.455 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 6 | 5 | 54 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| C | 155 | 122 | 750 | 46 | 15 | 5 |
| OF | 169 | 149 | 227 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | NYA | C | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | NYA | C | 12 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959 | NYA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | NYA | OF | 8 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1960 | NYA | C | 28 | 21 | 151 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961 | NYA | C | 48 | 42 | 268 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| 1961 | NYA | OF | 15 | 12 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | NYA | C | 15 | 10 | 59 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1962 | NYA | 1B | 2 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1962 | NYA | OF | 47 | 44 | 76 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1963 | NYA | OF | 64 | 59 | 76 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964 | NYA | C | 25 | 22 | 118 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1964 | NYA | 1B | 3 | 3 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 1964 | NYA | OF | 14 | 14 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | KC1 | C | 14 | 13 | 55 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965 | KC1 | OF | 20 | 15 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | ML1 | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | NYA | C | 12 | 11 | 67 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 155 |
| First Base | 6 |
| Left Field | 53 |
| Right Field | 115 |