Excerpt from “Your 1948 Houston Buffs, Dixie Champions: Brief Biographies By Morris Frank and Adie Marks (1948).
Sam DiBlasi had one of the better years among those who played for the 3rd place 1948 Houston Buffs. In 132 games as a third baseman, Sam batted .290 with 22 doubles, 10 triples, and 2 homers. His good offensive production was just topside of his career minor league totals over six seasons (1942, 1946-50) of 83 doubles, 39 triples, and 9 homers. 1948 was the athletic Mr. DiBlasi’s only season as a Buff.
Born August 13, 1922 in Washington, DC, the 6’0″, 190 lb. DiBlasi (BR/TR) was a three-sport star and all state end in football before becoming a three sport letterman at Washington and Lee University and embarking upon his pro baseball career in Canton, Ohio in 1942, where he also met his future wife.
World War II took care of the next thee seasons (1943-45) as DiBlasi went off to battle in Europe as a 1st Lieutenant and also earning a Purple Heart for his battle wounds. Sam resumed his baseball career in 1945 after taking up residence in Canton, Ohio as a construction worker.
After 1948, Sam DiBlasi moved from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ farm system and splitting time with the latter’s clubs at AA Fort Worth and AAA Montreal in 1949.
Something happened after 1949, but I lack the immediate resources without further research to know what caused the change and fairly abrupt end to Sam’s baseball career. In spite of the fact that DiBlasi’s batting averages at Fort Worth and Montreal ranged from .260 to .277, he dropped down to Class A Greenville of the Sally League in 1950 as a pitcher. He had pitched five innings for Montreal in 1949 and posted a 1-0 record. He worked in four games for 1950 Greenville and compiled a 3-0 record with a 1.67 ERA.
Then nothing. At age 27, Sam DiBlasi was gone from baseball.
Sounds a lot like an injury-forced retirement after 1950. As I have time, I will try to learn more about what happened. If you know anything about what led to Sam DiBlasi’s early departure from the game, please post it here at The Pecan Park Eagle as a comment on this column. Thank you.
According to a post-column report from Darrell Pittman, Sam DiBlasi passed away at age 81 on August 18, 2003 in Canton Ohio. Here’s additional news of Sam’s post-playing career involvement in baseball:
“Baseball player. He was a pitcher and third baseman with the Brooklynn Dodgers and the Canton Terriers Class AA League. He was a member of the Stark County Baseball Hall of Fame and was past president of Eastern Ohio Basketball and Football Officials Association. He served as an official and television liason for the mid-American conference; was a life member of the Ohio Association of Football Officials. He served as commissioner for the Class A Baseball League from 1967-1977 and was Commissioner for the Federal League for 29 years. Sam was a World War II Army veteran having served in Normandy, Utah Beach, D-Day + 1. Survivors include his wife Donna L (Kitzmiller) DiBlasi; three sons and a daughter.” – http://www.findagrave.com
The Frank/Marks cartoon identified Sam’s wife as Jean; this findagrave reports her name as Donna. Sam either had two wives, or one wife who used two names, or someone simply made an ancient reporting mistake on her name in the first place.
Thanks, Darrell!
The Pecan Park Eagle 
June 19, 2013 at 12:45 pm |
Alas, it looks like he passed in 2003: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15529621
June 19, 2013 at 1:10 pm |
I suspect that your injury theory is correct, Bill. The Sporting News of April 26, 1950, reported the following:
“Sam DiBlasi, continuing his efforts to change from the infield to the mound this year, entered the season without having pitched an inning for Mobile this spring due to a pulled back muscle.”
Sam did go on to pitch in 10 games for Mobile in 1950, but that was a very limited year, and that was his last.
The Sporting News of January 24, 1951 reported that Class B Asheville purchased DiBlasi’s contract from Newport News, but of course Sam didn’t play in 1951. Oddly, that report described DiBlasi as an outfielder.
Mobile (AA), Newport News (B), and Asheville (B) were all affiliates of the Brooklyn Dodgers.