Jake Beckley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jake Beckley |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: August 4, 1867 Hannibal, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Died: June 25, 1918 (aged 50) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 20, 1888, for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 15, 1907, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .309 | ||
| Hits | 2,930 | ||
| Home runs | 87 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,578 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1971 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Jacob Peter Beckley (born August 4, 1867 – died June 25, 1918) was a famous American professional baseball player. People called him "Eagle Eye" because he was so good. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many teams. These included the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Pittsburgh Burghers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals. He played from 1888 to 1907.
Beckley was an amazing hitter. He had a batting average over .300 in 13 different seasons. His 244 triples are the fourth most in baseball history. He also holds a major league record for 23,767 putouts. A putout is when a player records an out, usually by catching a ball or tagging a runner. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Beckley was born in Hannibal, Missouri. His parents were Bernhart and Rosina Beckley. He started playing semi-professional baseball when he was still a teenager.
A former teammate, Bob Hart, told the Leavenworth Oilers about 18-year-old Beckley. He played for Leavenworth and a team in Lincoln, Nebraska. Then, his contract was sold to the St. Louis Whites. Later, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys bought him in 1888.
Playing in Major League Baseball
After playing for the Alleghenys for a year and a half, Beckley joined the Pittsburgh Burghers. This team was part of a new league called the Players' League (PL). His manager, Ned Hanlon, also moved to the new team. Beckley said he joined the PL because he was "only in this game for the money anyway."
The Players' League only lasted for one season. After that, Beckley played for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the next five and a half seasons.
Moving to New Teams
On July 25, 1896, Beckley was traded to the New York Giants. The Giants traded Harry Davis and $1,000 for him. The next season, on May 22, the Giants let Beckley go.
Five days later, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds. In his first year with the Reds, Beckley tried a trick on rookie Honus Wagner. Beckley was known for the "hidden ball trick," where he would pretend to throw the ball away but keep it to tag a runner out. It didn't work on Wagner the first time.
Famous Plays and Records
Later, when Wagner's team came to Cincinnati, Beckley used a clever strategy. He used two baseballs to get Wagner out! This shows how smart he was on the field.
On September 26, 1897, Beckley hit three home runs in one game against the St. Louis Browns. This was a rare feat. No one did it again until 1922. He played with Cincinnati for seven seasons. Then, the St. Louis Cardinals bought him on February 11, 1904.
Beckley stopped playing after the 1907 season. He finished his career with 2,930 hits. At that time, only Cap Anson had more hits. He is still fourth all-time in MLB for triples with 244. A triple is when a batter hits the ball and reaches third base safely.
As of 2014, Beckley had the best batting average (.300) among all Pirates first basemen. He also holds the MLB record for career putouts, with 23,743. He ranks second all-time in games played at first base, with 2,376.
Life After Baseball
After his amazing MLB career, Beckley became a player and manager. He managed for teams in Kansas City (1908–1909), Bartlesville (1910), and Hannibal (1911).
He also worked as an umpire in the Federal League in 1913. He coached baseball at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. Besides baseball, Beckley ran a grain business in Kansas City.
Beckley married Molly Murphy in 1891, but she sadly passed away seven months later. He remarried after he finished playing baseball. Beckley died from heart disease in Kansas City, Missouri when he was 50 years old. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hannibal.
Honors and Recognition
- He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.
- He is a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame.
- He was elected into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2014.
- In 2016, the Hannibal Cavemen baseball team named a gate at their stadium, Clemens Field, after him. It's called the Jake Beckley .308 Gate. This honors his great batting average.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball triples records
