Johnny Blanchard

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Blanchard attended DeLaSalle High School before transferring to Central High School, where he played football and basketball in addition to baseball. He played semi-professional baseball in Iowa before being signed by the New York Yankees to 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 Madden called 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 Series-winning 1961 season, hitting 21 home runs.…