# Sam Dente

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{{Short description|American baseball player (1922–2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Sam Dente
|position=[Shortstop](/source/Shortstop)
|image=SamDente1953bowman.jpg
|caption=
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1922|4|26|mf=y}}
|birth_place=[Harrison, New Jersey](/source/Harrison%2C_New_Jersey), U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2002|4|21|1922|4|26}}
|death_place=[Montclair, New Jersey](/source/Montclair%2C_New_Jersey), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 10
|debutyear=1947
|debutteam=Boston Red Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 13
|finalyear=1955
|finalteam=Cleveland Indians
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.252
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=4
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Run_batted_in)
|stat3value=214
|teams=
*[Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox) (1947)
*[St. Louis Browns](/source/St._Louis_Browns) (1948)
*[Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360)) (1949–1951)
*[Chicago White Sox](/source/Chicago_White_Sox) (1952–1953)
*[Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) (1954–1955)
}}
'''Samuel Joseph Dente''' (April 26, 1922 – April 21, 2002) was an American [shortstop](/source/shortstop) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) who played for five different teams between [1947](/source/1947_in_baseball) and [1955](/source/1955_in_baseball). Listed at {{height|ft=5|in=11}}, 175&nbsp;lb., Dente batted and threw right-handed. He was born in [Harrison, New Jersey](/source/Harrison%2C_New_Jersey) and played high school baseball at [Kearny High School](/source/Kearny_High_School_(New_Jersey)).<ref>[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/Sam-Dente.shtml Sam Dente], The Baseball Cube. Accessed December 30, 2007.</ref>

==Career==
A competent infielder and light-hitting batter, Dente was signed by the [Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox) as a [free agent](/source/free_agent) in 1941, but almost immediately had to serve in the military during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). After discharge, he was a member of the [1946 Scranton Red Sox](/source/List_of_Eastern_League_champions), a team that posted a 90–43 record in the [Eastern League](/source/Eastern_League_(1938%E2%80%932020)) and ranks 90th in the [Minor League Baseball](/source/minor_league_baseball) all-time teams list. He appeared in 139 games, hitting a respectable .289 [average](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) with 77 [RBI](/source/run_batted_in) and eight [stolen base](/source/stolen_base)s.

Dente reached the majors in 1947 with the Red Sox, playing for them one year before joining the [St. Louis Browns](/source/St._Louis_Browns) (1948), [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1901%E2%80%9360)) (1949–1951), [Chicago White Sox](/source/Chicago_White_Sox) (1952–1953) and [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) (1954–1955). His most productive years came with Washington, hitting a career-high .273 with 24 [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)) and 53 RBI in 153 games during the 1949 season. In 1950 he posted career-numbers in games (155), [runs](/source/run_(baseball)) (56), RBI (59) and [extrabases](/source/extra-base_hit) (29), being considered in the [American League MVP](/source/MLB_Most_Valuable_Player_Award) vote. As a member of the Indians, he served as a backup for [George Strickland](/source/George_Strickland_(baseball)), appearing in 68 games for a team that won 111 games and advanced to the [1954 World Series](/source/1954_World_Series). In three Series games, he went 0-for-3 with one run and a [walk](/source/base_on_balls).

In a nine-season career, Dente was a .252 hitter with four home runs and 214 RBI in 745 games, including 205 runs, 585 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)), 78 doubles, 16 [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)), and nine stolen bases. A patient hitter and very hard to [strike out](/source/strikeout), he averaged one strikeout for every 24.16 at-bats (96-to-2320).

Dente died in [Montclair, New Jersey](/source/Montclair%2C_New_Jersey), just five days shy of his 80th birthday, and is buried at [Holy Cross Cemetery](/source/Holy_Cross_Cemetery_(North_Arlington%2C_New_Jersey)) in [North Arlington, New Jersey](/source/North_Arlington%2C_New_Jersey).<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=dentesa01 Sam Dente Stats], Baseball Almanac. Accessed August 15, 2007.</ref>

His grandson is Rick Porcello, former Cy Young Award winner.

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}

;Sources
*[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=dentesa01 Baseball Almanac]
*[https://www.baseball-reference.com/d/dentesa01.shtml Baseball Reference]
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdents101.htm Retrosheet]
*[http://www.garybed.co.uk/those_who_served.htm Baseball in Wartime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927091020/http://www.garybed.co.uk/those_who_served.htm |date=2007-09-27 }}
*[http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=90 Minor League Baseball History: Top 100 Teams]

==External links==
*{{Find a Grave}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dente, Sam}}
Category:1922 births
Category:2002 deaths
Category:Baseball players from Hudson County, New Jersey
Category:Boston Red Sox players
Category:Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery (North Arlington, New Jersey)
Category:Chicago White Sox players
Category:Cleveland Indians players
Category:Greensboro Red Sox players
Category:Indianapolis Indians players
Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
Category:Kearny High School (New Jersey) alumni
Category:Major League Baseball shortstops
Category:Owensboro Oilers players
Category:Sportspeople from Harrison, New Jersey
Category:St. Louis Browns players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:Scranton Red Sox players
Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players

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