My phone rang 6:30 on the morning of Mach 25, 2009. Blanchard’s name came up on the caller ID.

I said, “What could he want at 6:30?” I made the decision to answer the phone even though the thought of rolling over and going back to sleep would have been a better choice. I said, “Hey JB” but to my surprise, the voice on the other end was his wife Nancy. Before she could say three words, I knew there was a serious problem. She said, “I have some bad news, Johnny passed away in his sleep last night” The words bounced off me as if I just woke from a bad dream. I sat in bed for a minute then realized that the call was real and that my best friend was gone.

I met Johnny Blanchard in Ft. Lauderdale in 2005. We hit it off right from the start. I told him about my memorabilia business and without hesitation he asked, “What could I do to help?” he was on board from day one. Johnny expressed to me that he could always use some additional income. Like most ball players of his day, he did not make much money when he played and relied on different promotional events to supplement his income. His current income derived from baseball Fantasy Camps, autograph shows, Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium and a speaking engagement or a golf outing here and there. Of course he also had his MLB pension.

We started talking daily on the phone sometimes two or three times a day. We did about four private signing’s a year, I also set Blanch up with a few autograph shows in NJ and we were in the planning stages of having him do guest appearances in the suites at the new Yankee Stadium. Why did I feel compelled to do more for Blanch than any of my other clients? Very simply, Blanch who really did not know me that long or that well went out of his way to help me with my start-up business. He advised me about what I should sell and whom I should stay away from. He made phone calls and opened new doors for me. He introduced me to Orlando Cepeda, Ron Guidry, Mickey Rivers, Tommy John and many other players. I watched the way he would approach them. He would say, “I met someone who is one of the few honest persons in the sports business and I want to introduce him to you” after a ringing endorsement he would then give the player a wink and the OK sign. That was all I needed. The recommendation from Blanch was my in. But why did he go the extra mile for me?  Who was I that he would do this for?  Well if anyone knew Johnny Blanchard it wasn’t about what anyone did for him or how long they knew him or if they ever heard of him, or saw him play it was because Johnny B. was truly a kind, sincere, caring, funny and loving individual.

I could go on and on about Blanch, His Fantasy Camp speeches and Old Timers day stories are legendary. His relationship with Mickey and in the end being asked to be a pallbearer for “The Mick” was something he was as proud of as being a Yankee itself. Blanch was a modern day network without a computer. Like myself, everyone he met felt compelled to stay in touch with him. Yankees employee’s, fantasy campers, teammates, fans or just acquaintances were all part of his network. He had information and gossip about the Yankees before the Yankees did. And talk baseball? Blanch could do that 24/7. I thought that I loved the game until I met him. He could talk about his playing days as well as today’s players. He was always a fan of the “Good Guy” and didn’t have time for the cheaters or egotist of today’s game, and he wouldn’t mind telling the top brass his opinion.

As our friendship grew and we talked about things other than baseball I knew that we became very close. I was like a shadow to him at the Fantasy camps, following him wherever he went and waiting for the next joke or Mantle story. We would catch each other’s eye if we caught Skowron doing or saying something that we predicted he would. I knew not to take him to upscale restaurants because that wasn’t his style, but I did anyway because I just wanted to hear his comments on the menu items. I could write a book about the comments alone, priceless. We just had a good time whenever we were together.

Like my good friend Fritz Peterson, said, “Johnny is not replaceable, he was one of the good guys” I know exactly what he meant by that.

I will truly miss my great friend like no other. His help and friendship will never be forgotten. We will never know if he would have been hired to make guest appearances at Yankee Stadium this year but like I told his wife Nancy, He is doing an appearance right now in the biggest suite of them all with Mickey, Roger and the Babe.

Thank you for being my friend J.B

_______________________________________________________

Johnny Blanchard,
Yanks’ ’60s Super Sub, Dies at 76

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: March 25, 2009
Johnny Blanchard, a power-hitting catcher and outfielder known as Super Sub who played in five consecutive World Series for the Yankees in the 1960s, died Wednesday in Robbinsdale, Minn. He was 76.