Hank Biasatti
Encyclopedia
Henry Arcado Biasatti was a Canadian
National Basketball Association
player and a Major League Baseball
first baseman
. He is the only Canadian to play at the top professional level in both sports.
, Biasatti grew up in Windsor, Ontario
, where he was a star basketball player at Gordon McGregor Continuation School and Assumption College High School
and played baseball for the East Windsor Cubs. He then played basketball at Windsor's Assumption College and served in the Canadian Army in World War II
. Biasatti was a farmhand of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, playing for London Army during the war. The team won the Canadian Congress baseball championship and played in the Ontario Baseball Association championship series in 1943. The next season, playing for the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball Association, he was ruled ineligible to play by the OBA because he would also play Sunday games in Detroit. The OBA ordered London to replay its semi-final series against Windsor because Biasatti had played for the Majors. Biasatti and the Majors won the OBA senior title in 1945. Biasatti played basketball for Assumption between the 1945 and 1946 baseball seasons.
. He was a good fielder but a poor hitter, and lost the starting job. He was assigned to the Savannah
Indians of the South Atlantic League at the end of May but returned to the Leafs a few weeks later. He asked to be farmed out in July and was sent to the Sunbury
Yankees of the Class B Interstate League
.
Following the 1946 baseball season, Biasatti was invited to the inaugural training camp of the Toronto Huskies
in preparation for the first season of the Basketball Association of America, which evolved into the NBA
. He was one of six Canadians invited to camp, and the only one who made the team. (Former Assumption teammate Gino Sovran
would join the Huskies a few weeks into the season. Biasatti and Sovran were the only Canadians ever to play for the team.) Biasatti played six games for the Huskies, including the BAA's first game on November 1, 1946. Because of that appearance, the NBA cites Biasatti as the first international player in league history. He was given an outright release by the Huskies in December after telling the team that baseball was his top priority and that he would be attending training camp for the Philadelphia Athletics
. He was subsequently picked by the Boston Celtics
in the 1947 BAA draft, but never joined the team.
In baseball, Biasatti played in Savannah in 1947, hitting .299 and finishing second in the league in home run
s. He rejoined the Leafs in 1948, on loan from the Athletics, and led the team with 21 home runs. Biasatti made it to the major leagues in 1949, appearing in 21 games for the Athletics. He got some playing time in August, after an injury to starting first baseman Ferris Fain
, but over 24 at-bats that season, Biasatti's batting average
was a horrible .083. With eight walks, his on base percentage
was .312. He had just two hits in the major leagues, both of them doubles
. After the season, he was purchased by the Buffalo Bisons
of the International League and played there in 1950 and 1951.
, playing first base and pitching. He managed the Drummondville A's of Quebec's Provincial League in 1954 and the following season managed the Lancaster Red Roses
in the Class B Piedmont League
. Both of those teams were in the Philadelphia Athletics/Kansas City Athletics farm system.
Biasatti became head basketball coach at the newly-renamed Assumption University in 1956, and in his first season, guided the team to the Ontario-Quebec Senior Intercollegiate Basketball League championship (shared with Queen's
). Biasatti held the head coaching job for six seasons and again guided the team to the OQAA championship in the 1958-1959 season.
In 1996, Biasatti died at the age of 74 in Dearborn, Michigan
. He was inducted into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, the University of Windsor
Alumni Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player and a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. He is the only Canadian to play at the top professional level in both sports.
Early career
Born in Beano, ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Biasatti grew up in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, where he was a star basketball player at Gordon McGregor Continuation School and Assumption College High School
Assumption College School
Assumption College Catholic High School is an International Baccalaureate authorized catholic high school in Windsor, Ontario.- History :Assumption was founded by the Basilian Fathers in 1870 as part of Assumption University, which is now part of the University of Windsor...
and played baseball for the East Windsor Cubs. He then played basketball at Windsor's Assumption College and served in the Canadian Army in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Biasatti was a farmhand of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, playing for London Army during the war. The team won the Canadian Congress baseball championship and played in the Ontario Baseball Association championship series in 1943. The next season, playing for the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball Association, he was ruled ineligible to play by the OBA because he would also play Sunday games in Detroit. The OBA ordered London to replay its semi-final series against Windsor because Biasatti had played for the Majors. Biasatti and the Majors won the OBA senior title in 1945. Biasatti played basketball for Assumption between the 1945 and 1946 baseball seasons.
Turns professional
In 1946, Biasatti began the baseball season as the starting first baseman for the Leafs in the International LeagueInternational League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. He was a good fielder but a poor hitter, and lost the starting job. He was assigned to the Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
Indians of the South Atlantic League at the end of May but returned to the Leafs a few weeks later. He asked to be farmed out in July and was sent to the Sunbury
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
Yankees of the Class B Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
.
Following the 1946 baseball season, Biasatti was invited to the inaugural training camp of the Toronto Huskies
Toronto Huskies
The Toronto Huskies were a team in the Basketball Association of America during the 1946–47 season, based in Toronto, Ontario...
in preparation for the first season of the Basketball Association of America, which evolved into the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He was one of six Canadians invited to camp, and the only one who made the team. (Former Assumption teammate Gino Sovran
Gino Sovran
Gino Sovran is a former National Basketball Association player.Born in Windsor, Ontario Sovran attended Kennedy Collegiate Institute and was a top basketball player at Assumption College, scoring more than 1,000 points over three seasons, and playing as team captain in the 1943-44 and 1944-45...
would join the Huskies a few weeks into the season. Biasatti and Sovran were the only Canadians ever to play for the team.) Biasatti played six games for the Huskies, including the BAA's first game on November 1, 1946. Because of that appearance, the NBA cites Biasatti as the first international player in league history. He was given an outright release by the Huskies in December after telling the team that baseball was his top priority and that he would be attending training camp for the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. He was subsequently picked by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in the 1947 BAA draft, but never joined the team.
In baseball, Biasatti played in Savannah in 1947, hitting .299 and finishing second in the league in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. He rejoined the Leafs in 1948, on loan from the Athletics, and led the team with 21 home runs. Biasatti made it to the major leagues in 1949, appearing in 21 games for the Athletics. He got some playing time in August, after an injury to starting first baseman Ferris Fain
Ferris Fain
Ferris Roy Fain was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for nine seasons in the American League with the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians...
, but over 24 at-bats that season, Biasatti's batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
was a horrible .083. With eight walks, his on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
was .312. He had just two hits in the major leagues, both of them doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. After the season, he was purchased by the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the International League and played there in 1950 and 1951.
Managing and coaching
In 1953, Biasatti was player-manager of the Waterloo Tigers of the Intercounty Baseball LeagueIntercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
, playing first base and pitching. He managed the Drummondville A's of Quebec's Provincial League in 1954 and the following season managed the Lancaster Red Roses
Lancaster Red Roses
The Lancaster Red Roses baseball team, originally known as the Maroons, changed its name at the start of the 1906 season during a bitter match with the York, Pennsylvania-based White Roses. Some sources indicate that the rival teams were named for the opposing factions in England's historic Wars of...
in the Class B Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
. Both of those teams were in the Philadelphia Athletics/Kansas City Athletics farm system.
Biasatti became head basketball coach at the newly-renamed Assumption University in 1956, and in his first season, guided the team to the Ontario-Quebec Senior Intercollegiate Basketball League championship (shared with Queen's
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
). Biasatti held the head coaching job for six seasons and again guided the team to the OQAA championship in the 1958-1959 season.
In 1996, Biasatti died at the age of 74 in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. He was inducted into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
Alumni Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
External links
- Retrosheet
- Basketball Reference
- FrozenHoops.com History of basketball in Canada. Selection of Top 100 Canadian players of all time