Bob Beall
Encyclopedia
Robert Brooks Beall is a former professional American baseball
player who played Major League Baseball
for the Atlanta Braves
and the Pittsburgh Pirates
in . He played in a total of 148 games in his four-year Major League career, leaving with .231 average.
, and participated in the first game at Hare Field
in 1965. After his senior year he was named player of the year in Oregon and was offered scholarships to the University of Oregon
and Oregon State University
.
He choose Oregon State in Corvallis
where he would serve as captain of the baseball team and was selected to the Pacific 8 (now Pacific-10 Conference) all-conference team as the first baseman. Additionally, Beall became the first left-handed third baseman in the history of the conference.
His two brothers Jim and Gene also graduated from Hillsboro High, with Jim also playing baseball at OSU before moving to politics.
Beall was drafted in the 28th round of the 1970 amateur draft after graduating with a bachelors degree in mathematics.
of the National League and sent to their Walla Walla, Washington
, farm team. There he hit for a .389 average for Walla Walla, followed by .314 in the Carolina League
. He then spent the next few years moving up through the Phillies farm system. After a year in triple A ball for the Eugene Emeralds
, Beall was traded to the Atlanta Braves and played with their triple A team in Richmond, Virginia
. Other stops included Reading, Pennsylvania
, the Dominican Republic
, and Mexico
over a 12-year period playing professional baseball.
On May 12, 1975, Beall made his major league debut playing first base for the Atlanta Braves. During the season he played eight games and hit for a .226 batting average with one run batted in
. After spending the next few years in the minor leagues, he returned to Atlanta for the season. That season he hit one home run, drove in 16 runs, while batting .243 over 108 games. The next season was his last for the Braves, and he played in 17 games and hit .133. 1980 was his last year in the Major Leagues, where played in three games without a single hit for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his 148 game career he hit .231 in 234 at bats with one home run, 18 RBIs, and a .987 fielding average. After leaving the Pirates, he spent some time with the Portland Beavers
minor league team in Portland, Oregon. With the Beavers he was a player-coach at a time when the team was the triple A affiliate for the Pirates. He then retired in 1981 and returned to Hillsboro and began working for sportswear company Nike
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who played Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in . He played in a total of 148 games in his four-year Major League career, leaving with .231 average.
Early years
Beall graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1966, where he won a state championship his senior year. During his high school career he played for coach Ad RutschmanAd Rutschman
Ad Rutschman is an American coach of football and baseball in the state of Oregon. He was a head football coach for 24 seasons, head baseball coach for 13 seasons, and served as athletic director for 25 years at Linfield College. He is the first athletic director emeritus in the history of the...
, and participated in the first game at Hare Field
Hare Field
Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school...
in 1965. After his senior year he was named player of the year in Oregon and was offered scholarships to the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
.
He choose Oregon State in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
where he would serve as captain of the baseball team and was selected to the Pacific 8 (now Pacific-10 Conference) all-conference team as the first baseman. Additionally, Beall became the first left-handed third baseman in the history of the conference.
His two brothers Jim and Gene also graduated from Hillsboro High, with Jim also playing baseball at OSU before moving to politics.
Beall was drafted in the 28th round of the 1970 amateur draft after graduating with a bachelors degree in mathematics.
Professional baseball
After leaving Oregon State, the 5-10 first baseman spent several years in the minor leagues. He had signed with the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
of the National League and sent to their Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, farm team. There he hit for a .389 average for Walla Walla, followed by .314 in the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. He then spent the next few years moving up through the Phillies farm system. After a year in triple A ball for the Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
, Beall was traded to the Atlanta Braves and played with their triple A team in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Other stops included Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
over a 12-year period playing professional baseball.
On May 12, 1975, Beall made his major league debut playing first base for the Atlanta Braves. During the season he played eight games and hit for a .226 batting average with one run batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. After spending the next few years in the minor leagues, he returned to Atlanta for the season. That season he hit one home run, drove in 16 runs, while batting .243 over 108 games. The next season was his last for the Braves, and he played in 17 games and hit .133. 1980 was his last year in the Major Leagues, where played in three games without a single hit for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his 148 game career he hit .231 in 234 at bats with one home run, 18 RBIs, and a .987 fielding average. After leaving the Pirates, he spent some time with the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
minor league team in Portland, Oregon. With the Beavers he was a player-coach at a time when the team was the triple A affiliate for the Pirates. He then retired in 1981 and returned to Hillsboro and began working for sportswear company Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
.