Joe Becker (baseball)
| Joe Becker | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: June 25, 1908 St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Died: January 11, 1998 (aged 89) Sunset Hills, Missouri | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 10, 1936, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1937, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .241 |
| Home run | 1 |
| Runs scored | 8 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Joseph Edward Becker (June 25, 1908 – January 11, 1998) was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played in 40 games for the Cleveland Indians in 1936–37. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Becker started his professional career in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, and played for various clubs between 1930 and 1933. After not playing in 1934, he spent 1935 with the San Francisco Seals. He was then picked up by the Cleveland Indians, and played for them for two seasons. In his major league career, he played in 40 games and had a .241 batting average.
After serving in the Navy during World War II he managed in the minors from 1946–54, including stints with the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs, Jersey City Giants and Charleston Senators.
Between 1955 and 1970, Becker was a pitching coach in the National League for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1955–64), St. Louis Cardinals (1965–66) and Chicago Cubs (1967–70). A member of the relatively small fraternity of former catchers who became celebrated throughout baseball as a pitching coach (which included men such as Ray Berres, Dave Duncan, Rube Walker and Mike Roarke), Becker coached for four NL championship Dodger clubs, including the 1955, 1959 and 1963 world champions. His coaching career ended in August 1970, when Becker was felled by a heart ailment while in uniform for the Cubs at Wrigley Field.[1]
Becker survived his 1970 illness, and died at age 89 in Sunset Hills, Missouri.
References
- ^ The Associated Press, 1970-8-13
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Bullpen wiki page
- 1908 births
- 1998 deaths
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Cleveland Indians players
- Major League Baseball pitching coaches
- Brooklyn Dodgers coaches
- Los Angeles Dodgers coaches
- Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) managers
- Baseball players from Missouri
- St. Louis Cardinals coaches
- Chicago Cubs coaches
- Minor league baseball managers
- Keokuk Indians players
- Des Moines Demons players
- Elmira Colonels players
- Danville Veterans players
- Elmira Red Wings players
- Denver Bears players
- San Francisco Seals (baseball) players
- Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players
- Montreal Royals players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Baltimore Orioles (IL) players
- Seaford Eagles players
- Jersey City Giants players
- Sioux City Soos players
- Sportspeople from St. Louis