Al Blanche

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name =Al Blanche

| image =Al Blanche.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| position =Relief pitcher

| birth_date ={{Birth date|1909|09|21|mf=yes}}

| birth_place =Somerville, Massachusetts

| death_date ={{death date and age|mf=yes|1997|04|02|1909|09|21}}

| death_place =Melrose, Massachusetts

| bats =Right

| throws =Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate =August 23

| debutyear =1935

| debutteam =Boston Braves

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate =June 19

| finalyear =1936

| finalteam =Boston Bees

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label =Win–loss record

| stat1value =0–1

| stat3label =Strikeouts

| stat3value =8

| stat2label =Earned run average

| stat2value =3.78

| baseball_ref =

| teams =

Boston Braves / Bees ({{mlby|1935}}–{{mlby|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.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blancal01.shtml |title=Al Blanche Statistics |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |access-date=February 1, 2021}}

Biography

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.{{cite news |title=On the Diamond |page=7 |newspaper=Falmouth Enterprise |location=Falmouth, Massachusetts |date=August 6, 1931 |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1931%2F08%2F06&id=Ar00712&sk=19FB9B4A&viewMode=image |access-date=February 1, 2021}} 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.{{cite news |title=Cape Cod League |page=3 |newspaper=Falmouth Enterprise |location=Falmouth, Massachusetts |date=September 14, 1933 |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1933%2F09%2F14&id=Ar00300&sk=B2A2C974&viewMode=image |access-date=February 1, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/al-blanche/ |title=Al Blanche |first1=Bob |last1=LeMoine |website=sabr.org |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=August 30, 2019}}

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{{fraction|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.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN193508230.shtml |title=Pittsburgh Pirates at Boston Braves Box Score, August 23, 1935 |date=August 23, 1935 |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN193509291.shtml |title=New York Giants at Boston Braves Box Score, September 29, 1935 |date=September 29, 1935 |website=baseball-reference.com |publisher=sports-reference.com |access-date=June 11, 2020}}

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.{{cite news |title=Cape Circuit Chatter |page=3 |newspaper=Hyannis Patriot |location = Hyannis, Massachusetts |date=September 1, 1938 |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Yarmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=HYP%2F1938%2F09%2F01&id=Ar00300&sk=545C4E32&viewMode=image |access-date=February 1, 2021}} Over his two major league seasons, Blanche tossed 33{{fraction|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.