Jonathan Balentina

From BR Bullpen

Jonathan Balentina

  • Bats Left, Throws Left
  • Height 6' 3", Weight 220 lb.

Biographical Information[edit]

Jonathan Balentina was 6-1 with a 2.43 ERA for the 2007 Santa Maria Pirates to help them win the Curacao pennant. He went 0-2 with a 8.40 ERA as a college freshman, then was 3-0 with a save and a 3.88 ERA as a sophomore. He was a Baseball All-Academic for the America East Conference. He missed the 2010 season due to a medical redshirt but was healthy enough to join the Netherlands Antilles national team for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. He tossed a gem against Mexico, shutting them out for six-plus innings despite five walks, but Orsendo Clemencia blew it in relief and the Antilles took a 3-2 loss.

Balentina was 3-1 with a 5.31 ERA for Maine in 2011, fanning 42 in 42 1/3 IP. He fell to 3-2, 7.06 as a senior. Despite his poor college record, he was the only player picked for the Dutch national team for the 2013 World Baseball Classic who had played in neither the US minors nor the Dutch Hoofdklasse. In the Classic, he was used as a LOOGY, working one inning over three appearances. Against Australia, he replaced David Bergman in the 7th with two out, one on and a 3-0 lead; he plunked Corey Adamson and was relieved by Leon Boyd. He replaced Berry van Driel with a 16-4 deficit, one on and one out against Japan in his second game. He threw a wild pitch, then walked Hisayoshi Chono but retired both Nobuhiro Matsuda and Kazuo Matsui. The game ended at the end of that 7th inning due to the mercy rule. In the rematch with Japan, a 10-6 loss, he relieved Kevin Heijstek with two out and one on in the bottom of the 8th and picked off Chono.

He was born three years to the day after another Antillean native who played for the University of Maine, Curt Smith. The two were teammates in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Sources[edit]

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