Boom-Boom Beck
Born: 10/16/1904 in Decatur, IL, USA
Died: 5/7/1987 in Champaign, IL, USA
MLB Debut: 1924-09-22 | Final Game: 1945-09-26
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs
Full name: Walter William Beck
Biography
Boom-Boom Beck, born in 1904, was a notable pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1924 until his retirement in 1945. Over his career, he showcased a competitive spirit on the mound, finishing with a win-loss record of 38-69 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.3. Beck's tenure in the league spanned two decades, during which he became recognized for his resilience and ability to strike out batters, amassing a total of 352 strikeouts. He also recorded 6 saves, demonstrating his versatility as a pitcher capable of closing out games when needed.
Beck's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, which saw the evolution of pitching strategies and the integration of the sport. Despite not achieving overwhelming statistical success, his contributions to his teams reflected the grit and determination of players during this time. His nickname, "Boom-Boom," suggested an exciting playing style, and he remains a memorable figure for those who appreciate the rich history of baseball pitching.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 69 | 265 | 100 | 44 | 3 | 6 | 1034.0 | 1121 | 494 | 63 | 342 | 352 | 4.30 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | SLA | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1927 | SLA | AL | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5.56 | 133.1 |
| 1928 | SLA | AL | 2 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49.0 | 52 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 4.41 | -902.6 |
| 1933 | BRO | NL | 12 | 20 | 43 | 35 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 257.0 | 270 | 101 | 69 | 89 | 3.54 | 2117.5 |
| 1934 | BRO | NL | 2 | 6 | 22 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 57.0 | 72 | 47 | 32 | 24 | 7.42 | -1895.0 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 7 | 14 | 34 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 182.7 | 203 | 96 | 64 | 77 | 4.73 | 1199.0 |
| 1940 | PHI | NL | 4 | 9 | 29 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 129.3 | 147 | 62 | 41 | 38 | 4.31 | -2000.2 |
| 1941 | PHI | NL | 1 | 9 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 95.3 | 104 | 49 | 35 | 34 | 4.63 | -766.6 |
| 1942 | PHI | NL | 0 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 | 69 | 28 | 17 | 10 | 4.75 | -744.8 |
| 1943 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 9.88 | -385.8 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 1 | 2 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 74.0 | 67 | 32 | 27 | 25 | 3.89 | -822.8 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 2 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 47.7 | 42 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 3.40 | 726.0 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 6 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 63.0 | 54 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 2.14 | 956.4 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 266 | 327 | 17 | 61 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 0.187 | 0.196 | 0.229 | 0.426 | -1305.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | SLA | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1927 | SLA | AL | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1928 | SLA | AL | 16 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.429 | 0.0 |
| 1933 | BRO | NL | 43 | 95 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 0.189 | -624.2 |
| 1934 | BRO | NL | 22 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.235 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 34 | 68 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.132 | -681.3 |
| 1940 | PHI | NL | 29 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.056 | 0.0 |
| 1941 | PHI | NL | 34 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.120 | 0.0 |
| 1942 | PHI | NL | 27 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1943 | PHI | NL | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1944 | DET | AL | 28 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.318 | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CIN | NL | 11 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.214 | 0.0 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 14 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 265 | 0 | 47 | 193 | 16 | 12 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | SLA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927 | SLA | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1928 | SLA | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| 1933 | BRO | P | 43 | 0 | 12 | 52 | 3 | 4 |
| 1934 | BRO | P | 22 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 1939 | PHI | P | 34 | 0 | 8 | 37 | 6 | 1 |
| 1940 | PHI | P | 29 | 0 | 10 | 32 | 3 | 0 |
| 1941 | PHI | P | 34 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942 | PHI | P | 26 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 1943 | PHI | P | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | DET | P | 28 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1945 | CIN | P | 11 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | PIT | P | 14 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 265 |