Glenside native belts first homerun of his MLB career, plans to give game ball to parents next week

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May 22nd, 2024 | By Ryan Genova

Michael Siani, a Glenside native and a starting centerfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, belted the first homerun of his Major League Baseball career on Monday night.

Siani’s three-run long ball extended the Cardinals’ lead over the Baltimore Orioles to 5-0 in the 4th inning. They went on to win 6-3.

“I was just looking for a pitch I could handle. With runners in scoring position, you want to be able to make contact and get those guys in. A short, quick swing, I got to the heater, and put a good one on it, and luckily it got over,” he said in a post-game interview.

“It felt great. You wanna continue to put together good at-bats. It’s a good feeling,” he said.

Siani also mentioned that he plans to give the game ball to his parents when the Cardinals take on the Phillies next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The 24-year-old has racked up six RBIs and five stolen bases so far this season. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 after a few seasons in the minor leagues. The Reds selected Michael’s contract on September 22, 2022, and promoted him to the active roster. He was their 37th overall pick in 2019.

Check out the homerun video, courtesy of ESPN.com. You can also watch his post-game interview here, and a reel of his 2024 highlights here.

Fun Fact #1: Samuel James “Sammy” Siani, Michael’s younger brother, is an outfielder for the Altoona Curve, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm team. He was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft for $2.15 million. In high school, he was named the 2019 Pennsylvania Player of the Year by Perfect Game and went on to play at Duke University.

Jake Siani, Michael’s and Sammy’s younger brother, is an outfielder/pitcher at Johns Hopkins University. He’s majoring in Economics with minors in Environmental Studies and Financial Economics.

Sammy Siani
Jake Siani


Fun Fact #2: Michael, Sammy, and Jake are sons of Ralph and Kristen Siani, owners of Ralph’s Barber Shop in downtown Glenside.

Fun Fact #3: In 2020, Ralph’s Barber Shop partnered with Daryl’s Pastries to sponsor the Phillie Phanatic’s appearance at the Glenside Fourth of July Parade. Michael and Sammy were in attendance as well.


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Photos: MLB.com, hopkinssports.com | Screengrab: ESPN.com | Screenshots: Jamey Piggott