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Jack Bentley (baseball)

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Jack Bentley
Bentley in 1914
Pitcher
Born: (1895-03-08)March 8, 1895
Sandy Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Died: October 24, 1969(1969-10-24) (aged 74)
Olney, Maryland, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 6, 1913, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
May 20, 1927, for the New York Giants
MLB statistics
Win–loss record46–33
Earned run average4.01
Strikeouts259
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

John "Needles" Bentley (March 8, 1895 – October 24, 1969) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of nine seasons (1913–1916, 1923–1927) with the Washington Senators, New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. For his career, he compiled a 46–33 record in 138 appearances, with a 4.01 ERA (earned run average) and 259 strikeouts. Bentley was a member of the Giants' pennant-winning teams in 1923 and 1924. He was 1–3 with a 4.94 ERA and 11 strikeouts in World Series play.

He was a good hitting pitcher in his major league career. In nine seasons, he compiled a .291 average (170-584) with 7 home runs and 71 RBI. In 1923 Bentley batted .427 (38-89) for the New York Giants. In the 1923 and 1924 World Series, he hit .417 (5-12) with one home run and 2 RBI. He would be the last pitcher to pinch-hit in the World Series until Zack Greinke, who pinch-hit in the 2021 World Series. He also played 59 games at first base and 3 games in right field in the majors.

Bentley (left

In 1922, Bentley pitched for the minor league Baltimore Orioles in the International League, going 13–2 with a 1.73 ERA before he was called up again to the Big Leagues by the New York Giants.[1]

He was born in Sandy Spring, Maryland,[1] and later died in Olney, Maryland, at the age of 74.

Bentley was drafted into the military in July 1917. It was thought that he would claim exemption from military service as a conscientious objector due to his religious faith, yet he chose to enlist in the army and serve his country in World War I. In March 1918, Bentley was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland. Shortly thereafter, he was deployed to France with the 313th Infantry. He documented his experiences through letters sent home throughout his 19 months of service.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Klingaman, Mike. "This Week in Sports", Baltimore Sun (July 30, 2018), p. 2 Sports.
  2. ^ Thine, Jack: Jack Bentley WW1 Letters Home (July 1918 - April 1919), archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved May 18, 2021
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