In 1959 he got his big break; the Chicago Cubs signed him as a free agent. He was called up by the Cubs on April 14, 1962. He pitched in 29.1 innings and recorded a 0-1 record with a 6.44 ERA. He only played in one big league season.\n', "One of his mentors that season was Buck O'Neil, a long time player and coach in the Negro Leagues who was a rookie of his own sorts, breaking the color barrier as a coach in the Major Leagues.\n", '

In a 2010 interview with sportswriter Marino Amoruso, he spoke about the one game he played in the Polo grounds against the New York Mets.[citation needed]\n', '

https://www.baseballhappenings.net/2012/11/1962-chicago-cub-tony-balsamo-shares.html\n', '

Return to Tony Balsamo Autograph Profile