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Jake Beckley

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Jake Beckley
First baseman
Born:(1867-08-04)August 4, 1867
Hannibal, Missouri,U.S.
Died:June 25, 1918(1918-06-25)(aged 50)
Kansas City, Missouri,U.S.
Batted:Left
Threw:Left
MLB debut
June 20, 1888, for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys
Last MLB appearance
June 15, 1907, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average.309
Hits2,930
Home runs87
Runs batted in1,578
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1971
Election methodVeterans Committee

Jacob Peter Beckley(August 4, 1867 – June 25, 1918), nicknamed "Eagle Eye",was an Americanprofessional baseballfirst baseman.He played inMajor League Baseballfor thePittsburgh Alleghenys,Pittsburgh Burghers,Pittsburgh Pirates,New York Giants,Cincinnati RedsandSt. Louis Cardinalsfrom 1888 to 1907.

Beckley had abatting averageof over.300 in 13 seasons. His 244 triples are fourth all time[1]and his 23,767 putouts is a major league record. A career.308 hitter he was elected into theNational Baseball Hall of Famein 1971 via theVeterans Committee.[2]

Early life

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Beckley was born inHannibal, Missouri.[3]He was the son of Bernhart and Rosina (Neth) Beckley. Beckley began playingsemi-professionalbaseball while still a teenager. A former Hannibal teammate, Bob Hart, suggested the 18-year-old Beckley to the Leavenworth Oilers (Leavenworth, Kansas) of the Western Association.[2]After splitting two seasons between Leavenworth and a team inLincoln, Nebraska,Beckley's contract was sold to theSt. Louis Whitesin theWestern Associationbefore he was purchased (along withHarry Staley) by thePittsburgh Alleghenysfor $4,500 midway through the 1888 season.[4]

Major league career

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After playing one and a half seasons for the Alleghenys, Beckley and eight of his teammates jumped to thePittsburgh Burghers,[4]a team in the newly-formedPlayers' League(PL). ManagerNed Hanloncrossed over, as well. Beckley stated he was willing to go to the PL because "I'm only in this game for the money anyway."[2]The league lasted only one season, and Beckley spent the next five and a half seasons with thePittsburgh Pirates.[4]

Jake Beckley in 1896 (middle, second from right) with thePittsburgh Pirates

On July 25, 1896, Beckley was traded to theNew York GiantsforHarry Davisand $1,000.[4]Beckley was released by the Giants the following season on May 22, and signed as afree agentwith theCincinnati Redsfive days later.[4]In his first season with the Reds, Beckley was unsuccessful in getting rookieHonus Wagnerout with the hidden ball trick, a tactic he had been known to use against the opposition. But later when Wagner'sLouisville Colonelscame to play at Cincinnati, Beckley was successful in getting Wagner out, employing a strategy that involved the use of two baseballs.[5]Against the St. Louis Browns (since 1900, theSt. Louis Cardinals), Beckley belted threehome runsin the same game on September 26, 1897, a feat not again matched until 1922 byKen Williams.[2]He played with Cincinnati for seven seasons and was later purchased by the Cardinals on February 11, 1904.[4]

Beckley retired after the 1907 season with 2,930 career hits, second only toCap Anson.[6]He continues to rank fourth all-time among major leaguers in triples with 244. As of the 2014 season, Beckley holds the all-time bestbatting averageamong Pirates first basemen (.300).[7]Beckley holds the MLB record for careerputouts,with 23,743,[8]and ranks second all-time in games played at first base, with 2,376.[8]

Later life

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Beckley's plaque at theBaseball Hall of Fame

After his MLB career ended, Beckley became a player/managerforKansas Cityin theAmerican Associationin 1908–1909,Bartlesvillein theWestern Associationin 1910, andHannibalin theCentral Associationin 1911. He served as anumpirein theFederal Leaguein 1913 and also served as a baseball coach atWilliam Jewell CollegeinLiberty, Missouri.In addition to his umpiring and coaching after retirement from professional play, Beckley operated a grain business in Kansas City.

Beckley married Molly Murphy of Hannibal in 1891,[2]but she died oftuberculosisseven months after their wedding. He later remarried after his playing career concluded.[9]Beckley died ofheart disease[10]inKansas City, Missouriat the age of 50.[3]He was interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Hannibal.[3]

Honors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Jake Beckley Statistics and History".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedOctober 27,2019.
  2. ^abcdeJake Beckleyat theSABR Baseball Biography Project,by David Fletiz, Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  3. ^abc"Jake Beckley Stats".Baseball-Almanac.RetrievedNovember 21,2006.
  4. ^abcdef"Jake Beckley".Retrosheet.org.RetrievedNovember 21,2006.
  5. ^Smith, Ira L. (1956)."Baseball's Famous First Basemen".Baseball Digest.New York: A.S. Barnes & Co.RetrievedJuly 23,2012.
  6. ^"Jake Beckley".Baseball Hall of Fame.RetrievedJuly 24,2012.
  7. ^"Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics at MLB".MLB.RetrievedJuly 22,2012.
  8. ^ab"Jake Beckley".BaseballHallOfFame.Archived fromthe originalon August 20, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 8,2008.
  9. ^"Beckley enters Reds HOF for good reasons".The Cincinnati Enquirer.Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2014.RetrievedDecember 23,2014.
  10. ^"Jake Beckley".TheDeadballEra.Archived fromthe originalon December 16, 2006.RetrievedNovember 21,2006.
  11. ^"Pirates induct 19 baseball legends into inaugural HOF class".MLB.
  12. ^"Reds Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2014".Cincinnati.Reds.MLB. Archived fromthe originalon January 3, 2014.RetrievedDecember 4,2013.
  13. ^"Cavemen Announce New" Jake Beckley.308 Gate "| Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC".
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