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{{short description|American baseball player (1909-1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
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| stat1label =[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
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*[[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] / [[Boston Bees|Bees]] ({{
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'''Prosper Albert Blanche''' (September 21, 1909 – April 2, 1997)
==Biography==
A native of [[Somerville, Massachusetts]], Blanche was the son of Italian emigrants and the youngest of four children. He attended [[Somerville High School (Massachusetts)|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 Gatemen|Wareham]], but finished the season with [[Falmouth Commodores|Falmouth]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1933 and 1934, he pitched for the league's [[Harwich Mariners|Harwich]] team, winning the decisive third game of a three-game championship series sweep for Harwich over Falmouth.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=sabr>{{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}}</ref>
Blanche caught on with the big league Braves near the end of the [[1935 Boston Braves season|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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> His best outing came on September 29 in the first game of a home [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] against the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] and hurler [[Al Smith (left-handed pitcher)|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Blanche began the [[1936 Boston Bees season|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 Firebirds|Orleans]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="sabr"/>
==References==
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==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=111069 |espn= |br=b/blancal01 |fangraphs= |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanche, Al}}
[[Category:1909 births]]▼
[[Category:Baseball players from Somerville, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Providence Friars baseball players]]
[[Category:Columbus Senators players]]
[[Category:Syracuse Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Boston Braves players]]
[[Category:Cape Cod Baseball League players (pre-modern era)]]
[[Category:Wareham Gatemen players]]
[[Category:Falmouth Commodores players]]
[[Category:Harwich Mariners players]]
[[Category:Orleans Firebirds players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
▲[[Category:1909 births]]
▲[[Category:1990 deaths]]
▲[[Category:Baseball players from Massachusetts]]
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