Benny Zientara
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941-1948)
Benny Zientara was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1948 for the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 8 seasons. In 278 career games, he hit .254 with 230 hits, 2 home runs, and 49 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 165 lb
- Died
- 4/16/1985 in Lake Elsinore, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1941-09-11
- Last Game
- 1948-09-23
Full name: Benedict Joseph Zientara
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 278 | 906 | 106 | 230 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 49 | 5 | 50 | 48 | .254 | .293 | .304 | .596 | -2,257 |
Career AVG .254 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .293 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career SLG .304 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — 18.3% below league average.
Career OPS .596 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — 15.6% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CIN | NL | 9 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .286 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1946 | CIN | NL | 78 | 280 | 26 | 81 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 14 | 11 | .289 | .256 (+13%) | .328 (-2%) | .358 (-5%) | .687 (-4%) | -193.2 |
| 1947 | CIN | NL | 117 | 418 | 60 | 108 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 23 | 23 | .258 | .262 (-2%) | .336 (-12%) | .376 (-15%) | .712 (-13%) | -935.3 |
| 1948 | CIN | NL | 74 | 187 | 17 | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 11 | .187 | .263 (-29%) | .340 (-31%) | .379 (-44%) | .719 (-37%) | -1128.3 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 278 | 906 | 106 | 230 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 49 | 5 | 50 | 48 | .254 | — | — | — | — | -2,257 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (278 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 125 | 369 | 43 | 98 | 0 | 16 | .266 |
| Away | 153 | 537 | 63 | 132 | 2 | 33 | .246 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-09-23 | CIN | PHI | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-22 | CIN | PHI | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-18 | CIN | NY1 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-17 | CIN | NY1 | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-09-12 | CIN | STL | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1948-08-31 | CIN | BSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-29 | CIN | NY1 | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948-08-29 | CIN | NY1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-26 | CIN | BRO | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948-08-21 | CIN | CHC | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 203 |
| Third Base | 53 |
| Shortstop | 3 |
Benny Zientara: the record in brief
The profile opens with Benny Zientara's first major league game on September 11, 1941; the last one listed came on September 23, 1948. Every season row on the page belongs to the Cincinnati Reds, from 1941 through 1948. Zientara played primarily as a second baseman and batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on February 14, 1918, in Chicago, IL, USA and a listed size of 5'9" and 165 pounds. Zientara died on April 16, 1985, in Lake Elsinore, CA, USA. The given name on file is Benedict Joseph Zientara.
Across 278 games at the plate, Zientara's career line reads 230 hits in 906 at bats for a .254 average; the totals also include 2 home runs and 49 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .293 clip and slugging .304, Zientara finished with a .596 OPS. The .254 career average is close to the .261 the league hit across the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 15.6% below league average (.596 against .706). The hits column peaks at 108, in 1947. In 1946, a season of regular play, Zientara hit .289 while the league hit .256.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benny Zientara
- What years did Benny Zientara play?
- Benny Zientara played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1948.
- Was Benny Zientara a pitcher?
- No. Benny Zientara was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Benny Zientara hit?
- Benny Zientara hit 2 career home runs with 230 hits.
- What teams did Benny Zientara play for?
- Benny Zientara played for one team, the Cincinnati Reds (1941, 1946–1948).
- What were Benny Zientara's career stats?
- In 278 games, Benny Zientara had 230 hits, 2 home runs, 49 RBI, 106 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
- What position did Benny Zientara play?
- Benny Zientara played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Benny Zientara and how much did he weigh?
- Benny Zientara was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 165 pounds.
- How many home runs did Benny Zientara hit each season?
- Benny Zientara's home runs by season: 0 in 1941, 0 in 1946, 2 in 1947, and 0 in 1948. His most in one season was 2, in 1947.
- What was Benny Zientara's career batting average?
- Benny Zientara batted .254 over his career, with 230 hits in 906 at bats.
- How many RBI did Benny Zientara have?
- Benny Zientara drove in 49 runs in his career.
- Is Benny Zientara in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Benny Zientara has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.