Boom-Boom Beck, baseball player, 1924-1945

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

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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

Career ERA 4.30 vs. league average 3.94 across their career seasons — 9.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg 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 4.08 (-36%) 131.5
1928 SLA AL 2 3 16 4 2 0 0 49.0 52 24 20 17 4.41 4.13 (-7%) -986.7
1933 BRO NL 12 20 43 35 15 3 1 257.0 270 101 69 89 3.54 3.86 (+8%) 1685.1
1934 BRO NL 2 6 22 9 2 0 0 57.0 72 47 32 24 7.42 4.29 (-73%) -2023.7
1939 PHI NL 7 14 34 16 12 0 3 182.7 203 96 64 77 4.73 4.28 (-10%) 832.9
1940 PHI NL 4 9 29 15 4 0 0 129.3 147 62 41 38 4.31 4.21 (-2%) -2223.5
1941 PHI NL 1 9 34 7 2 0 0 95.3 104 49 35 34 4.63 3.94 (-18%) -998.6
1942 PHI NL 0 1 26 1 0 0 0 53.0 69 28 17 10 4.75 3.57 (-33%) -845.9
1943 PHI NL 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 13.7 24 15 5 3 9.88 3.50 (-182%) -410.3
1944 DET AL 1 2 28 2 0 0 1 74.0 67 32 27 25 3.89 3.57 (-9%) -982.1
1945 CIN NL 2 4 11 5 2 0 1 47.7 42 18 12 9 3.40 3.67 (+7%) 613.0
1945 PIT NL 6 1 14 5 4 0 0 63.0 54 15 14 20 2.14 3.67 (+42%) 806.7

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 -1299.2

Career AVG .187 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 30.8% below league average.

Career OBP .196 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 41.4% below league average.

Career SLG .229 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — 39.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.426 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — 40.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS 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 .270 (-30%) .329 (-40%) .377 (-36%) .707 (-38%) -625.7
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 .274 (-52%) .342 (-58%) .393 (-55%) .735 (-56%) -673.5
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