Michael Richard Balenti (July 3, 1886 – August 4, 1955) was a Major League Baseball shortstop and left fielder who played 70 games for the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Browns in 1911 and 1913, respectively.
Mike Balenti | |
---|---|
Shortstop | |
Born: Calumet, Oklahoma, U.S. | July 3, 1886|
Died: August 4, 1955 Altus, Oklahoma, U.S. | (aged 69)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
July 19, 1911, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 22, 1913, for the St. Louis Browns | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .183 |
Home runs | 0 |
Runs batted in | 11 |
Teams | |
His maternal grandfather, Charles Rath, was the namesake of Rath City, Texas. Balenti's mother was born of Charles Rath's marriage to a Cheyenne woman named Making-Out-Roads. Balenti himself was born of his mother's marriage to a Hungarian immigrant. Charles Rath's later marriage to a white woman bore him a son named Morrie Rath, against whom Balenti played in the American League without knowing they were related.[1][2]
Balenti married an Alaska Native, Cecilia Baronovich, whom he met while attending Carlisle Indian School. They lived among the Cheyenne in Oklahoma part-time and among Cecilia's people in Alaska during the off-seasons. On at least one occasion it took Balenti two months to travel from his minor league club's home in Chattanooga to his off-season home in Alaska. After retirement, he worked in construction in Altus, Oklahoma.[3]
Head coaching record edit
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chattanooga Moccasins (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1914) | |||||||||
1914 | Chattanooga | 5–4 | 1–3 | 13th | |||||
Chattanooga: | 5–4 | 1–3 | |||||||
Total: | 5–4 |
References edit
- ^ Anderson, H. Allen. "Rath, Charles". www.tshaonline.org. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Weiser, Kathy. "Charles Rath, Buffalo Entrepreneur". www.legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Powers-Beck, Jeffrey P. (January 2004). The American Indian Integration of Baseball. U of Nebraska Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-8032-3745-2. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Mike Balenti at Find a Grave