# Mark Ballinger

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{{Short description|American baseball player (1949–2014)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Mark Ballinger
|image=Mark Ballinger.jpg
|position=[Pitcher](/source/Pitcher)
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1949|1|31}}
|birth_place=[Glendale, California](/source/Glendale%2C_California), U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|2014|6|13|1949|1|31}}
|death_place=[Okeechobee, Florida](/source/Okeechobee%2C_Florida), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=August 8
|debutyear=1971
|debutteam=Cleveland Indians
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1971
|finalteam=Cleveland Indians
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching))
|stat1value=1–2
|stat2label=[Earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average)
|stat2value=4.67
|stat3label=[Strikeout](/source/Strikeout)s
|stat3value=25
|teams=
*[Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) ({{by|1971}})
}}
'''Mark Alan Ballinger''' (January 31, 1949 – June 13, 2014) was an American [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) [pitcher](/source/pitcher) who appeared in 18 [games](/source/games_played), all in [relief](/source/relief_pitcher), for the {{by|1971}} [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians). The [right-hander](/source/right-handed) stood {{convert|6|ft|6|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|205|lb}}, and entered [professional baseball](/source/professional_baseball) after Cleveland selected him in the second round of the [1967 Major League Baseball draft](/source/1967_Major_League_Baseball_draft).

Over the next five seasons, Ballinger played in the Indians' farm system, gradually moving up the ranks. In 1971, he spent the season with the [Jacksonville Suns](/source/Jacksonville_Suns), and went 5–10 with a 2.91 ERA before being promoted to the major league squad.

Ballinger worked in {{frac|34|2|3}} [innings](/source/inning_(baseball)) during his two-month-long MLB career, giving up 30 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) and 13 [bases on balls](/source/bases_on_balls), while [striking out](/source/strikeout) 25. He recorded eight [games finished](/source/games_finished), but no [saves](/source/save_(baseball)). Ballinger earned his only victory on August 28, 1971, with a stellar, four-inning relief appearance against the [Minnesota Twins](/source/Minnesota_Twins) at [Cleveland Stadium](/source/Cleveland_Stadium), allowing no hits and only one base on balls (to future [Hall of Famer](/source/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame) [Rod Carew](/source/Rod_Carew)) and striking out three as the Indians rallied to win, 9–8, on a three-run [home run](/source/home_run) by [Vada Pinson](/source/Vada_Pinson).<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B08280CLE1971.htm 1971-8-28 box score from Retrosheet]</ref>

He was demoted after the 1971 season, and spent two more seasons in the minors. After not playing in 1974, he spent the next five years alternating between the Suns and the [Omaha Royals](/source/Omaha_Royals). His minor league career lasted all or parts of 12 seasons; he appeared in 260 games and won 54 of 115 [decisions](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching)).<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=ballin001mar Minor league statistics] from [Baseball Reference](/source/Baseball_Reference)</ref>

Ballinger also played winter baseball in the [Mexican Pacific League](/source/Mexican_Pacific_League) with the [Cañeros de Los Mochis](/source/Ca%C3%B1eros_de_Los_Mochis) and [Mayos de Navojoa](/source/Mayos_de_Navojoa).<ref>{{cite book|last=Gastélum Duarte|first=Guillermo|title=Enciclopedia Conmemorativa del 75 Aniversario de la Liga Mexicana del Pacífico|url=http://www.lmp.mx/enciclopedia75|location=Culiacán, Sinaloa|publisher=Moby Dick Editorial|page=719|language=es|access-date=October 12, 2025|archive-date=June 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626211315/http://www.lmp.mx/enciclopedia75|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{baseballstats|br=b/ballima01}}
*[http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2560234&fh_id=10647 Obituary]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballinger, Mark}}
Category:1949 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Category:Baseball players from Glendale, California
Category:Cañeros de Los Mochis players
Category:Cleveland Indians players
Category:Elmira Pioneers players
Category:El Paso Sun Kings players
Category:Eugene Emeralds players
Category:Gulf Coast Indians players
Category:Jacksonville Suns players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Mayos de Navojoa players
Category:Omaha Royals players
Category:Reno Silver Sox players
Category:Rock Hill Indians players
Category:Statesville/Monroe Indians players
Category:Thousand Oaks High School alumni
Category:20th-century American sportsmen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mark Ballinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ballinger) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ballinger?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.