View source for Jake Beckley

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Short description|American baseball player (1867–1918)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jake Beckley
|image=JakeBeckley.jpg
|caption=Beckley in 1894
|position=[[First baseman]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1867|8|4}}
|birth_place=[[Hannibal, Missouri]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1918|6|25|1867|8|4}}
|death_place=[[Kansas City, Missouri]], U.S.
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=June 20
|debutyear=1888
|debutteam=Pittsburgh Alleghenys
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 15
|finalyear=1907
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.308
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,938
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=87
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,581
|teams=
* [[History of the Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Alleghenys]] ({{mlby|1888}}–{{mlby|1889}})
* [[Pittsburgh Burghers]] ({{mlby|1890}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Alleghenys / Pirates]] ({{mlby|1891}}–{{mlby|1896}})
* [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] ({{mlby|1896}}–{{mlby|1897}})
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1897}}–{{mlby|1903}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1904}}–{{mlby|1907}})
|highlights=
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates#Pirates Hall of Fame|Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame]]
* [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1971 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1971]]
|hofmethod=Veterans Committee
}}

'''Jacob Peter Beckley''' (August 4, 1867 – June 25, 1918), nicknamed "'''Eagle Eye'''", was an American professional [[baseball]] [[first baseman]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[History of the Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Alleghenys]], [[Pittsburgh Burghers]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]], [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] from 1888 to 1907.

Beckley had a [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of over .300 in 13 seasons. His 244 triples are fourth all time<ref name="Complete">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/becklja01.shtml|title=Jake Beckley Statistics and History|access-date=October 27, 2019|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> and his 23,767 putouts is a major league record. A career .308 hitter he was elected into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1971 via the [[Veterans Committee]].<ref name="sabr">{{sabrbio|b2aa2e3e|David Fletiz|October 27, 2019}}</ref>

==Early life==
Beckley was born in [[Hannibal, Missouri]].<ref name="baseball-almanac">{{cite web|title=Jake Beckley Stats |publisher=Baseball-Almanac.com |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=becklja01 |access-date=November 21, 2006 }}</ref> He was the son of Bernhart and Rosina (Neth) Beckley. Beckley began playing [[semi-professional]] baseball 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.<ref name="sabr"/> After splitting two seasons between Leavenworth and a team in [[Lincoln, Nebraska]], Beckley's contract was sold to the [[St. Louis Whites]] in the [[Western Association]] before he was purchased (along with [[Harry Staley]]) by the [[History of the Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Alleghenys]] for $4,500 midway through the 1888 season.<ref name="retrosheet">{{cite web|title=Jake Beckley |publisher=Retrosheet.org |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pbeckj103.htm |access-date=November 21, 2006 }}</ref>

==Major league career==
After playing one and a half seasons for the Alleghenys, Beckley and eight of his teammates jumped to the [[Pittsburgh Burghers]],<ref name="retrosheet" /> a team in the newly-formed [[Players' League]] (PL). Manager [[Ned Hanlon (baseball)|Ned Hanlon]] crossed over, as well. Beckley stated he was willing to go to the PL because "I'm only in this game for the money anyway."<ref name="sabr"/> The league lasted only one season, and Beckley spent the next five and a half seasons with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]].<ref name="retrosheet" />
[[File:1896 Pittsburgh Pirates.jpg|thumb|upright|left|200px|Jake Beckley in 1896 (middle, second from right) with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]]]
On July 25, 1896, Beckley was traded to the [[New York Giants (National League)|New York Giants]] for [[Harry Davis (1900s first baseman)|Harry Davis]] and $1,000.<ref name="retrosheet" /> Beckley was released by the Giants the following season on May 22, and signed as a [[free agent]] with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] five days later.<ref name="retrosheet" /> In his first season with the Reds, Beckley was unsuccessful in getting rookie [[Honus Wagner]] out with the hidden ball trick, a tactic he had been known to use against the opposition. But later when Wagner's [[Louisville Colonels]] came to play at Cincinnati, Beckley was successful in getting Wagner out, employing a strategy that involved the use of two baseballs.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Ira L.|title=Baseball's Famous First Basemen|location=New York|year=1956|publisher=A.S. Barnes & Co.|journal=Baseball Digest|access-date=July 23, 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6y0DAAAAMBAJ&q=beckley&pg=PA37}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Against the St. Louis Browns (since 1900, the [[St. Louis Cardinals]]), Beckley belted three [[home run]]s in the same game on September 26, 1897, a feat not again matched until 1922 by [[Ken Williams (baseball)|Ken Williams]].<ref name="sabr"/> He played with Cincinnati for seven seasons and was later purchased by the Cardinals on February 11, 1904.<ref name="retrosheet" />

Beckley retired after the 1907 season with 2,930 career hits, second only to [[Cap Anson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/beckley-jake|title=Jake Beckley|access-date=July 24, 2012|publisher=Baseball Hall of Fame}}</ref> He continues to rank fourth all-time among major leaguers in triples with 244. As of the 2014 season, Beckley holds the all-time best [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] among Pirates first basemen (.300).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/stats/|title=Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics at MLB.com|work=MLB.com|access-date=July 22, 2012}}{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Beckley holds the MLB record for career [[putout]]s, with 23,743,<ref name="halloffame">{{cite web | title = Jake Beckley | work = BaseballHallOfFame.com | url = http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=110776 | access-date = September 8, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20070820092107/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=110776 | archive-date = August 20, 2007 }} </ref> and ranks second all-time in games played at first base, with 2,376.<ref name="halloffame"/>

==Later life==
[[File:Jake Beckley plaque.jpg|thumb|Beckley's plaque at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]]]
After his MLB career ended, Beckley became a player/[[manager (baseball)|manager]] for [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]] in the [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]] in 1908–1909, [[Bartlesville]] in the [[Western Association]] in 1910, and [[Hannibal, Missouri|Hannibal]] in the [[Central Association]] in 1911. He served as an [[umpire (baseball)|umpire]] in the [[Federal League]] in 1913 and also served as a baseball coach at [[William Jewell College]] in [[Liberty, 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,<ref name="sabr"/> but she died of [[tuberculosis]] seven months after their wedding. He later remarried after his playing career concluded.<ref name=Enquirer>{{cite web|title=Beckley enters Reds HOF for good reasons|url=http://www.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312250063&template=artiphone|publisher=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|access-date=December 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223165742/http://www.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312250063&template=artiphone|archive-date=December 23, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beckley died of [[heart disease]]<ref name="deadballera">{{cite web|title=Jake Beckley |work=TheDeadballEra.com |url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Necrology/Necrology.Beckley.Jake.html |access-date=November 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216132155/http://www.thedeadballera.com/Necrology/Necrology.Beckley.Jake.html |archive-date=December 16, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] at the age of 50.<ref name="baseball-almanac"/>  He was interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Hannibal.<ref name="baseball-almanac"/>

==Honors==
* Elected into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1971.
* Member of [[Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-induct-inaugural-hall-of-fame-class | title=Pirates induct 19 baseball legends into inaugural HOF class | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref>
* Elected into the [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20131203&content_id=64366744&vkey=pr_cin&c_id=cin|title=Reds Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2014|publisher=Cincinnati.Reds.MLB.com|access-date=December 4, 2013|archive-date=January 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103200917/http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20131203&content_id=64366744&vkey=pr_cin&c_id=cin|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* In 2016, the [[Hannibal Cavemen]] of the [[Prospect League]] installed the Jake Beckley .308 Gate at [[Clemens Field]] in [[Hannibal, Missouri]], Beckley's hometown and burial site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prospectleague.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_404622|title=Cavemen Announce New "Jake Beckley .308 Gate" &#124; Prospect Collegiate Baseball LLC|access-date=March 30, 2016|archive-date=April 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409053649/http://www.prospectleague.com/view/prospectleague/prospect-league-news/news_404622|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
* [[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]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

*{{cite book|last=Fleitz|first=David L|title=Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown: Sixteen Little-Known Members of the Hall of Fame|publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers|year=2015|isbn=9780786480616|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tZCr_c4UPUC}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{bbhof|beckley-jake}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=b/becklja01|fangraphs=1000754|brm=beckle001jac}}
*{{findagrave|5972}}

{{1971 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals HOF}}
{{Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates HOF}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckley, Jake}}
[[Category:1867 births]]
[[Category:1918 deaths]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:19th-century baseball players]]
[[Category:19th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Alleghenys (NL) players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Burghers players]]
[[Category:New York Giants (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Blues (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Bartlesville Boosters players]]
[[Category:Topeka Jayhawks players]]
[[Category:Hannibal Cannibals players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Blues (baseball) managers]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Missouri]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Hannibal, Missouri]]
[[Category:St. Louis Whites players]]