Mitchell Francis "Mike" Balas (May 9, 1910 – October 15, 1996) was a

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who appeared in one game in with the Boston Bees in 1938. Balas entered professional baseball in 1929 playing for the

Brockton Shoemakers Brockton may refer to: Canada * Brockton (electoral district), Canada * Brockton, Ontario, Canada * Brockton Point, a point and attached peninsula in Vancouver * Brockton Point Lighthouse, in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia * Brockto ...

of the New England League. After moving around the minors for the next 9 years, he played in his only MLB game on April 27, 1938. In that game, he pitched 1 innings facing 8 batters, surrendering 3 runs (1 earned), walking and striking out none. Following the game he returned to the minors and continued there until 1940. He also was a minor league

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

from 1945 to 1948. Balas was a Jehovah's Witness and in 1942 was prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for failing to report to a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

camp during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was sentenced by Judge George Clinton Sweeney to three years in prison.

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1910 births 1996 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Massachusetts Boston Bees players Sportspeople from Lowell, Massachusetts American Jehovah's Witnesses American conscientious objectors Binghamton Triplets players Birmingham Barons players Bridgeport Bears (baseball) players Brockton Shoemakers players Dayton Ducks players Elmira Pioneers players Erie Sailors players Hartford Laurels players Indianapolis Indians players Richmond Colts players Scranton Miners players York White Roses players American sportspeople convicted of crimes {{JehovahsWitnesses-stub