Thursday, July 21, 2011

50 Years Ago: Yanks Beat Bosox, M & M & Yogi & Blanchard Homer

Posted by David Ballela at 1:30 PM

Mantle July21 61

2 comments:

Joe De Pastry said...

Blanchard's PH grand slam homer started an unusual streak. He hit homers in 4 consecutive at-bats over a six-day period. He hit another PH homer in the 9th on July 22. He sat out the game the next day. Then after an off day on July 24, Elston Howard caught both games of a doubleheader on the 25th. and Blanhard did not get in either game. In Blanchard's next appearance, as the starting catcher on July 26th, he hit homers in his first two at-bats. With a chance to set a record for consecutive homers in the 6th inning, again facing starting pitcher Ray Herbert, Blanchard was retired on a fly to deep RF. I was listening to the game on the radio and remembered the announcer [Mel Allen?] lamenting how close it came to being another HR. Can you imagine how Sterling would have called it?

July 21, 2011 at 3:39 PM
David Ballela said...

from Johnnie's bio.....
But Blanchard's days as a Yankee were to come to an end in early May of the 1965 season. Following an exhibition game against the New York Mets, he was called into manager Johnny Keane's office and was given the news he had been traded to Kansas City.
John took the news hard. He cried 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, thats why I'm crying."

July 21, 2011 at 10:01 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)