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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Gil Blanco, a left-handed pitcher who spent two years in MLB with the New York Yankees and Kansas City A's, died July 9. He was 80.
Blanco's death was not reported publicly until his obituary published July 31 in the Arizona Republic.
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A Phoenix native, Blanco was inducted as part of the third-ever Phoenix Union High School District Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Standing 6-foot-5, Blanco was a standout pitcher at North High School in Phoenix. He continued pitching for two years at Phoenix College, then signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in 1964.
Blanco debuted with the Class-A Fort Lauderdale Yankees that summer. He went 12-7 with a 2.31 ERA in 23 starts as an 18-year-old, prompting the Yankees to add him to their major league roster the following year as a "bonus baby."
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On April 24, 1965, Blanco made his major league debut, becoming only the third Phoenix College product ever to appear in a big league game. He threw a scoreless inning in relief of Yankees starter Jim Bouton, but the Yankees lost to the California Angels, 6-3 before an announced crowd of 13,281 at Yankee Stadium.
Blanco made 18 appearances as a rookie for the Yankees — 17 that counted toward their 77-85 record, and one that didn't. He started the Hall of Fame game, a rare midseason exhibition in Cooperstown, N.Y., against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees won 7-4.
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In June 1966, Blanco was pitching for the Yankees' Double-A affiliate when he was traded to the A's, along with Roger Repoz and Bill Stafford, for Fred Talbot and Billy Bryan.
Blanco appeared in 11 games for the A's before the 1966 season was over, making eight starts. He went 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA.
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Although he remained in the A's organization for all of 1967 and 1968, making the move with the franchise to Oakland, Blanco never again appeared in a regular season game.
Blanco retired after the 1971 season and returned to Phoenix. According to his obituary, Blanco worked for Southwest Airlines.
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