Sam Dente

Born: 4/26/1922 in Harrison, NJ, USA

Died: 4/21/2002 in Montclair, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-07-10 | Final Game: 1955-09-13

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Samuel Joseph Dente

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Biography

Sam Dente was a professional baseball player who played as a position player from 1947 until his retirement in 1955. Born in 1922, Dente's career spanned a transformative period in Major League Baseball, which was marked by the integration of African American players and the emergence of new playing styles. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 745 games, where he demonstrated a steady presence at the plate with a career batting average of .252. Dente accumulated a total of 585 hits, 4 home runs, and 214 RBIs, contributing to his teams with a blend of contact hitting and situational awareness. Dente was known for his versatility on the field, although he did not have the power numbers that typically define a player's legacy. His 9 stolen bases showcased his speed and base-running acumen, which were essential during an era that emphasized speed and strategic play. While his statistics may not place him among the most celebrated figures in baseball history, his dedication to the game and consistent performance earned him respect among his peers and fans alike. Sam Dente remains a notable figure from the post-war era of baseball, reflecting the evolving dynamics of the sport during the mid-20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
745	2320	205	585	78	16	4	214	9	167	96	0.252	0.303	0.305	0.608	-7708.3

Career AVG .252 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .303 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 10.0% below league average.

Career SLG .305 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 21.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.608 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — 15.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1947	BOS	AL	46	168	14	39	4	2	0	11	0	19	15	0.232	.262 (-12%)	.336 (-8%)	.376 (-26%)	.712 (-17%)	-478.6
1948	SLA	AL	98	267	26	72	11	2	0	22	1	22	8	0.270	.263 (+2%)	.340 (-4%)	.379 (-14%)	.719 (-9%)	-462.2
1949	WSN	AL	153	590	48	161	24	4	1	53	4	31	24	0.273	.262 (+4%)	.343 (-10%)	.384 (-13%)	.727 (-12%)	-1594.4
1950	WSN	AL	155	603	56	144	20	5	2	59	1	39	19	0.239	.265 (-10%)	.346 (-17%)	.401 (-26%)	.747 (-22%)	-2905.0
1951	WSN	AL	88	273	21	65	8	1	0	29	3	25	10	0.238	.260 (-9%)	.336 (-10%)	.385 (-29%)	.721 (-20%)	-1001.3
1952	CHW	AL	62	145	12	32	0	1	0	11	0	5	8	0.221	.252 (-13%)	.326 (-21%)	.369 (-37%)	.696 (-29%)	-738.8
1953	CHW	AL	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1954	CLE	AL	68	169	18	45	7	1	1	19	0	14	4	0.266	.261 (+2%)	.333 (-4%)	.390 (-14%)	.723 (-9%)	-290.1
1955	CLE	AL	73	105	10	27	4	0	0	10	0	12	8	0.257	.258 (-1%)	.332 (avg)	.393 (-25%)	.726 (-14%)	-237.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1954	WS	CLE	3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	2	0	8	2	0	1
2B	56	7	162	161	6	43
3B	88	0	55	128	9	14
OF	6	0	4	0	0	0
SS	563	70	946	1524	109	345

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1947	BOS	3B	46	0	40	83	8	11
1948	SLA	3B	6	0	3	9	1	1
1948	SLA	SS	76	0	138	207	15	46
1949	WS1	SS	153	0	314	462	35	106
1950	WS1	2B	29	0	91	91	2	23
1950	WS1	SS	128	0	225	406	32	88
1951	WS1	2B	10	0	32	30	2	9
1951	WS1	3B	5	0	1	7	0	0
1951	WS1	SS	65	0	128	173	12	43
1952	CHA	1B	2	0	8	2	0	1
1952	CHA	2B	6	0	24	20	0	6
1952	CHA	3B	18	0	7	17	0	2
1952	CHA	OF	6	0	4	0	0	0
1952	CHA	SS	27	0	42	56	6	14
1953	CHA	SS	1	0	0	0	0	0
1954	CLE	2B	7	6	10	14	2	3
1954	CLE	SS	60	48	66	133	6	33
1955	CLE	2B	4	1	5	6	0	2
1955	CLE	3B	13	0	4	12	0	0
1955	CLE	SS	53	22	33	87	3	15