Clarence Howeth "Ginger" Beaumont (July 23, 1876 – April 10, 1956) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1899–1906) and Boston Braves (1907–1909).
| Ginger Beaumont | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: July 23, 1876 Rochester, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| Died: April 10, 1956 (aged 79) Burlington, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 21, 1899, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 15, 1910, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .311 |
| Home runs | 39 |
| Runs batted in | 617 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Biography
editBeaumont was born in Rochester, Wisconsin, and attended Beloit College. During the years 1900–1904 – with the Pirates winning pennants from 1901–1903 – Beaumont led the National League in hits three times, scored 100 runs four times, leading the league once, and also captured the 1902 batting championship with a .357 mark. As the Pirates' regular leadoff hitter, he was the first player ever to bat in a World Series game.[1]
Nicknamed "Ginger" for his thick red hair, he used his excellent speed to great advantage; on the day before his 23rd birthday in his rookie season, he had six infield singles and became the first player to score six runs in a game. He was also the first player in major league history to lead his league in hits three consecutive years, which has been accomplished by only five others; he led the NL in hits a fourth time with the 1907 Braves. Often bothered by leg injuries, he joined the Chicago Cubs for the 1910 season, and made pinch-hitting appearances in the first three games of the 1910 World Series before leaving the major leagues with a .311 career batting average and on-base average of .362. He played one more season in the minor leagues before retiring to his Honey Creek, Wisconsin farm.[2] He was one of the first inductees to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1951. Beaumont suffered two strokes in his seventies, and died at age 79 in Burlington, Wisconsin.[3]
Beaumont has a baseball field named after him in his hometown of Burlington. His name also represents part of the Burlington Little League organization. In July 2015, a monument to Beaumont was dedicated at Beaumont Field.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Schultz, Chris (September 20, 2007). "A famous resident, nearly forgotten". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ^ "Walworth County Today". www.theweekextra.com.
- ^ "Ginger Beaumont Dies". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. April 11, 1956. p. 24. Retrieved July 11, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia (2000). Kingston, New York: Total/Sports Illustrated. ISBN 1-892129-34-5.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)