Roger Blanco

Roger Leonel Blanco

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 6", Weight 215 lb.

• Born August 29, 1976 in La Sabana, Vargas Venezuela
• Died November 30, 1999 in Catia La Mar Venezuela

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Roger Blanco pitched six minor league seasons, never breaking out of class A ball before his tragic murder.

An undrafted free agent, he began his career as a starter, but was later moved to the bullpen. He was 0-5 with a 8.75 ERA in an awful debut with the 1993 DSL Mariners. The next season for the same club, he improved to 4-2, 4.76. In 1995, while pitching for the AZL Mariners of the Arizona League, he had a 1-6, 5.50 record. He began the next season with the short season A club, the Everett Aqua Sox, but had an ERA over 6 (1-7, 6.16) when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves organization on August 14 in exchange for Mark Whiten. Whiten hit 12 home runs and drove in 33 runs for the big league Mariners in 40 games, although becoming a Rent-A-Player. Blanco floundered the remainder of his career. He was 3-8 with a 6.23 ERA overall in his two Northwest League stops of '96, tying Keith Volkman for the most losses in the NWL.

Blanco went 3-3 with a 7.64 ERA and 1.82 WHIP for the 1997 Durham Bulls. After sitting out the 1998 season due to injury, he posted a 1-3 record and a 9.71 ERA in 1999 with the Macon Braves, his last season. He finished his career with an aggregate 7.07 ERA and an 8-20 record in his four seasons in the USA and a 12-27 minor league record overall.

During a robbery at his sister's home in November '99, Blanco was killed by the intruders.