Highlighted Year: Fred Beebe, 1906

Pitcher, Chicago Cubs/St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 26

1^st season with Cubs

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1906:

Beebe, who had a twin sister, was born in Nebraska and moved to Chicago with his family in his youth. A star pitcher and third baseman at Hyde Park High School he was part of an odd (for the time) interracial battery, teaming up with a black catcher. He managed high strikeout totals as a dominating high school pitcher. Moving on to the Univ. of Illinois, his size and athletic ability were put to use on the football, as well baseball, teams. Leaving college following the 1903 death of his father, Beebe worked as an electrical engineer and played semipro baseball on weekends. In 1905 he joined the Oshkosh Indians of the Class D Wisconsin League and registered 27 wins with 291 strikeouts. Drafted by the Cubs, he made the major league club in 1906. With an impressive fastball, the inexperienced Beebe started only occasionally as member of a crowded pitching staff. He was traded to the Cardinals on July 1 for RHP Jack Taylor.

1906 Season Summary

Appeared in 34 games (CHI 14/ STL 20)

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 34 [19, tied with Mal Eason & Jack Taylor] (CHI – 14/STL – 20)

Games Started – 25 (CHI – 6/STL – 19)

Complete Games – 20 (CHI – 4/ STL – 16)

Wins – 15 [19, tied with Deacon Phillippe] (CHI – 6/ STL – 9)

Losses – 10 (CHI – 1/STL – 9)

PCT - .600 [12, tied with Deacon Philippe] (CHI - .857/STL - .500)

Saves – 1 [13, tied with eleven others] (CHI)

Shutouts – 1 (STL)

Innings Pitched – 230.2 (CHI – 70/STL – 160.2)

Hits – 171 (CHI – 56/STL – 115)

Runs – 92 (CHI – 27/STL – 65)

Earned Runs – 75 [14, tied with Jake Weimer] (CHI – 21/STL – 54)

Home Runs – 2 (CHI -1/STL – 1)

Bases on Balls – 100 [6] (CHI – 32/STL – 68)

Strikeouts – 171 [1] (CHI – 55/STL – 116)

ERA – 2.93 (CHI – 2.70/STL – 3.02)

Hit Batters – 14 [4, tied with Harry McIntire & Lefty Leifield] (CHI – 5/STL – 9)

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 3 (CHI – 1/STL – 2)

League-leading strikeouts were +13 higher than runner-up Jeff Pfeffer

Midseason Snapshot: 8-2, ERA – N/A, SO - 77 in 97.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 9 IP) vs. Bos. Beaneaters 7/22

10+ strikeout games – 3

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Brooklyn 7/17, (in 9 IP) vs. Bos. Beaneaters 7/22, (in 8 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 8/29

Batting (combined)

PA – 93, AB – 87, R – 6, H – 13, 2B – 2, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 5, BB – 3, SO – 18, SB – 1, CS – N/A, AVG - .149, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 3, SF – N/A

Fielding (combined)

Chances – 72

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 54

Errors – 9

DP – 1

Pct. - .875

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The Cubs went 116-36 to win the NL pennant by 20 games over the New York Giants. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (1.75), shutouts (30), strikeouts (702), fewest hits allowed (1018), and fewest runs allowed (381). The highly talented Cubs moved past the Giants into first place to stay on May 28 and rounded out the regular season by winning 48 of their last 54 games, although they lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox, 4 games to 2.

The Cardinals went 52-98 to finish seventh in the NL, 63 games behind the pennant-winning Chicago Cubs. The pitching staff led the league in walks issued (479), and fewest shutouts (4). The Cardinals were over .500 for the last time on April 27 and went 16-38 in June and July which put them in seventh place to stay.

Aftermath of 1906:

The Cardinals finished in the NL cellar in 1907 at a dismal 52-101 and Beebe’s record reflected the club’s fortunes at 7-19 with a respectable 2.72 ERA (although the league average was 2.46), 24 complete games, and 4 shutouts while registering 141 strikeouts over 238.1 innings. He also dealt with bouts of wildness, walking 109 batters and uncorking 15 wild pitches. With a similarly poor Cardinals team in 1908, Beebe’s tally was 5-13 with a 2.63 ERA, 12 complete games and 66 walks and 72 strikeouts over 174.1 innings. The Cardinals rose slightly to seventh place in 1909 and Beebe improved his record to 15-21 with a 2.82 ERA, 18 complete games, and 105 strikeouts over 287.2 innings. However, issues with control remained as he gave up 104 walks and led the league with 15 wild pitches. In the offseason Beebe was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds, who were mediocre in 1910 and the 30-year-old pitcher produced a 12-14 record with a 3.07 ERA, 11 complete games, 2 shutouts, 94 walks, and 93 strikeouts over 214.1 innings pitched. Beebe also developed a sore arm which he blamed on overusing his curve and he was traded once again in the offseason, this time as part of a multi-player deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in only 9 games with the Phillies and was unimpressive as he posted a 3-3 tally and a high 4.47 ERA. A broken hand put him out of action and when he was ready to return he was sent to the Buffalo Bisons of the International League. He performed well for the Bisons in 1912 with a 16-10 record while accumulating 272.1 innings. A lesser performance in 1913 was followed by a 22-10 season in 1914. He was 27-7 for Buffalo in 1915, including a no-hitter. Considered too old to draw interest from major league teams (who were also pulling in players from the defunct rival Federal League) and unwilling to take a pay cut to return to Buffalo, Beebe became coach of the Univ. of Indiana’s baseball team and pitched for a semipro team. He joined the Cleveland Indians in June and threw back-to-back three-hitters in his first two starts. Faltering briefly due to a hand injury, he went on as a starter and reliever for the remainder of the season and finished with a 5-3 record and 2.41 ERA with 5 complete games and 32 strikeouts over 100.2 innings. His comeback also generated much publicity. The Indians returned him to the minors in the offseason, thus concluding his major league career. He pitched with some success in the American Association and Western League until 1922. For his major league career, Beebe produced a 62-83 record with a 2.86 ERA, 93 complete games, 9 shutouts, 534 walks, and 634 strikeouts over 1294.1 innings. With the Cardinals he went 36-62 with a 2.79 ERA, 70 complete games, 6 shutouts, 347 walks, and 434 strikeouts over 1294.1 innings. Playing mostly with losing teams after being traded by the Cubs, he never saw World Series action, nor was he fully able to build upon his early promise, although he did well for Cleveland in his late-career stint and won 128 games in the minor leagues. Following his playing career, Beebe worked for the People’s Gas Company in Chicago until retiring due to illness in 1937. He died in 1957 at age 77.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.