Al Blanche
Relief pitcher
Born: ( 1909-09-21 ) September 21, 1909 Somerville, Massachusetts
Died: April 2, 1997 (1997-04-02) (aged 87) Melrose, Massachusetts
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 23, 1935, for the Boston Braves
Last MLB appearance
June 19, 1936, for the Boston Bees
MLB statistics
Win?loss record	0?1
Earned run average	3.78
Strikeouts	8
Teams
Boston Braves / Bees ( 1935 ? 1936 )

Prosper Albert Blanche (September 21, 1909 ? April 2, 1997) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played two seasons with the Boston Braves / Bees from 1935 to 1936. ^[1]

Biography [ edit ]

A native of Somerville, Massachusetts , Blanche was the son of Italian emigrants and the youngest of four children. He attended Somerville High School , and played college baseball at Providence College , graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1934. While at Providence, he played summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). In 1931, he began the CCBL season with Wareham , but finished the season with Falmouth . ^[2] In 1933 and 1934, he pitched for the league's Harwich team, winning the decisive third game of a three-game championship series sweep for Harwich over Falmouth. ^{[3] [4]}

Blanche caught on with the big league Braves near the end of the 1935 season . Though it was the end of a dismal campaign for the Boston club, Blanche posted an impressive 1.56 ERA in 17 1 ⁄ 3 innings over six appearances. His debut came on August 23, when he tossed four innings in relief of Ben Cantwell , allowing two earned runs and smacking a hit in the Braves' 7?5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Braves Field . ^[5] His best outing came on September 29 in the first game of a home doubleheader against the New York Giants and hurler Al Smith . With the Braves down 5?2 after three innings, Boston starter Ed Brandt was lifted for Blanche, who finished with six strong shutout innings in the eventual 5?3 loss. ^[6]

Blanche began the following season with Boston, now known as the "Bees", appearing in 11 games and posting a 6.19 ERA in 16 innings before being optioned to the minor leagues. He made one appearance with the Syracuse Chiefs , then finished out the 1936 season with the Columbia Senators of the Sally League . In 1938, he was back in the CCBL with Orleans . ^[7] Over his two major league seasons, Blanche tossed 33 1 ⁄ 3 innings with a 3.78 ERA and eight strikeouts. He went 2-for-10 at the plate, and committed two errors in 16 chances in the field.

Blanche served in the United States Air Force during World War II , and died in 1997 in Melrose, Massachusetts , at age 87. ^[4]

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB , or  Baseball Reference , or  Baseball Reference (Minors) , or  Retrosheet