Of particular interest to Renegades fans, Blanchard was one of the team's guests last April 11 (along with HOFer "Goose" Gossage) at Renegades' "Baseball Banquet" in Fishkill, where this picture was snapped. That night was actually the second time I'd spoken with Johnny — the first coming at a Yankees "Old Timer's Day" I covered back in 2003 or 2004 — and he was just as cordial as our first meeting. Telling story after story, he reminded me of a grandfather who loved to talk about his grandkids and days gone by. He was all smiles that night, happily signing autographs for anyone who asked. Johnny (wearing a Yankees logo necktie) and I spoke about his passion for the national pastime."It's the most wonderful game in sports today," Blanchard, who still holds the record for most Fall Classic pinch-hit at-bats in a career with 10, told me. "I enjoyed every bit of it. I can tell the kids, 'Give it a whirl.' It's well worth it, especially today."
Five months later, Johnny returned to Fishkill, the guest speaker at last September's Dutchess County Association for Senior Citizens gala. In eight big-league seasons, seven-plus of which were played with the Yanks, Blanchard was a .239 hitter with 67 home runs and 200 RBIs. He was a part of New York teams what won the World Series in 1961 and 1962."This is a sad day," former teammate Yogi Berra said of Blanchard's passing. "Johnny was a good friend and a great teammate. He was proud of being a Yankee and always fun to be around. We'll miss him."