| Cy Blanton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1908-07-06)July 6, 1908 Waurika, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| Died: September 13, 1945(1945-09-13) (aged 37) Norman, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 23, 1934, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 6, 1942, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 68–71 |
| Earned run average | 3.55 |
| Strikeouts | 611 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Darrell Elijah (Cy) Blanton (July 6, 1908 – September 13, 1945) was an Americanstarting pitcher inMajor League Baseball who played for thePittsburgh Pirates andPhiladelphia Phillies. Blanton batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Blanton was ascrewball pitcher.[1]
Blanton grew up in Trousdale, Oklahoma, and was living in Shawnee, Oklahoma, playing on sandlot teams. In 1929 he joined the Shawnee Robins, a C Class team in the Western Association. Blanton was a pitcher for theIndependence Producers in 1931. The Independence Producers were a Class C minor league team located inIndependence, Kansas. Blanton had twelve wins and eight losses for the season.[2]
Blanton was one of the mainstays of the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation in the mid-1930s. He pitched for theAlbany Senators in 1934, being promoted to Pittsburgh to pitch one game. Earlier he pitched in thePiedmont League and theWestern Association.[3]
In his 1935rookie season he recorded 18wins with 142strikeouts and led theNational League inearned run average (2.58) andshutouts (4).[4] He averaged 12.67 wins for the next three years, leading again the league in shutouts in 1936 (4) and starts in 1937 (34). Afree agent before the 1940 season, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Although he made theNational League All-Star team in 1937 and 1941, he never showed again the brilliance of his first season. He last pitched for the Phillies in 1942,[3] being released after a month long stay in hospital due to kidney problems.[5][6]
In a nine-season career, Blanton posted a 68–71 record with a 3.55 ERA and 611 strikeouts.
He was suspended by theHollywood Stars for failure to get in shape in March 1945.[7] He returned to Oklahoma fromCalifornia where he had been living just before he died. Blanton died inNorman, Oklahoma, at the age of 37, from internal hemorrhaging as a result of cirrhosis.[5][8] His body was taken toShawnee, Oklahoma, for burial in the nearby Tecumseh Cemetery.[3] He left a wife, Marie, and four children including a son, Zane, who briefly played in the minor leagues with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.