Rick Bladt
From BR Bullpen
Richard Alan Bladt
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 160 lb.
- School Foothill College
- Debut June 15, 1969
- Final Game September 28, 1975
- Born December 9, 1946 in Santa Cruz, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Rick Bladt played two seasons in the major leagues, six years apart. He appeared in 10 games for the 1969 Chicago Cubs and then 52 games for the 1975 New York Yankees. He had a long minor league career, playing for the Syracuse Chiefs from 1970-76 and appearing in 846 games, second most in franchise history.
He is also remembered as the Syracuse outfielder trying to find the disappearing ball in an International League game in 1976. Art Gardner hit a ball to the fence, and the ball disappeared in the ivy. While Bladt searched for it, Gardner went around the bases for an inside-the-park apparent home run, until umpires called it a ground-rule double. Apparently the ball never was found.
When Chad Mottola hit his 113th double in the International League in August 2006, he passed Bladt for third on the all time list for most doubles in the league.
Bladt is sometimes mentioned as part of the famous 1969 Cubs team that "choked", but of course he only had 13 at-bats and 7 games in the field.
With the Yankees in 1975, he was the fourth outfielder, behind Bobby Bonds, Roy White, and Elliott Maddox.
