Edward Joseph Baecht (May 15, 1907 – August 15, 1957) was a right-handed

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

, and

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...

Biography

Baecht was born in

Paden, Oklahoma Paden is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 419 at the 2020 Census. It is named for Paden Tolbert, a U.S. Deputy Marshal who served the area in the early 1900s. Geography According to the United States Census ...

. Baecht made his Major League debut on April 24, 1926. He was the third-youngest man to appear in a Major League game that season, trailing only

Rufus Meadows Rufus Rivers Meadows (August 25, 1907 – May 10, 1970) was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds in 1926. He appeared in just one game, an 18-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Meadows faced the Cubs' final batter of th ...

and

Mel Ott Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants, from through . He batted left-handed ...

. Baecht posted a 2–0 record and completed his only start in his rookie season, but made his mark primarily as a reliever, a role he fulfilled in 27 games. Despite an

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

of 6.11, Baecht was given a chance as a starter again in 1927. After allowing six runs in just eight innings of work and taking the loss, Baecht was returned to the minor leagues. He returned in 1928, pitching in nine games, again with a single starting appearance. His ERA remained high at 6.00, and Baecht was again returned to the minors for further seasoning. He would not return to the majors until 1931, this time as a member of the Chicago Cubs. There, he enjoyed his finest professional season, sporting a career-low ERA of 3.76 in 22 games, including a career-high six starts and two

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s. This did not translate to a lasting job in the majors, as Baecht made just one relief appearance in 1932, firing a scoreless inning. After another extended absence from the major leagues, Baecht reemerged in 1937 at age 30 with the St. Louis Browns after signing as a free agent on August 11. He appeared in just three games, allowing fifteen runs (nine earned) on thirteen hits, including three home runs. His ERA of 12.79 in 6 innings was a career worst. His September 3, 1937 appearance proved to be his last at baseball's highest level.

Death

Baecht died on August 15, 1957, in

Grafton, Illinois Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 626. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Gr ...

, and is interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville, Illinois.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baecht, Ed 1907 births 1957 deaths Baseball players from Oklahoma Chicago Cubs players Philadelphia Phillies players St. Louis Browns players 20th-century American sportsmen Major League Baseball pitchers People from Jersey County, Illinois People from Okfuskee County, Oklahoma