Freddy Ray Beene (born November 24, 1942) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player. Beene was a
right-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
who played in the
Major Leagues between and . He was listed at tall and .
Beene attended
Brazosport High School
Brazosport High School is a public high school located at the intersection of Brazosport Boulevard and West 2nd Street in Freeport, Texas, United States. It handles grades nine through twelve and is part of the Brazosport Independent School Distr ...
in
Freeport, Texas
Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico, founded in 1912. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010, where Hispanic (U.S. ...
then played college baseball at
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...
. In performance in the small college World Series convinced Orioles scout
Dee Phillips
Damon Roswell "Dee" Phillips (June 8, 1919 – November 4, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, manager and scout. A shortstop and third baseman born in Corsicana, Texas, Phillips threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) ...
to sign him for $6,000 in 1964. Beene played with Baltimore's minor league system until 1968 and made his major league debut in September 18 of that year. He played in eight games over three seasons with the Orioles who traded him along with
Enzo Hernández
Enzo Octavio Hernández (February 12, 1949 – January 13, 2013) was a Venezuelan shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1971 through 1978 for the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. Hernández was born in Valle de Guanape, Vene ...
,
Tom Phoebus
Thomas Harold Stephen Phoebus (April 7, 1942 – September 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynas ...
and
Al Severinsen
Albert Henry Severinsen (November 9, 1944 – January 27, 2015) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played in with the Baltimore Orioles and in and with the San Diego Padres. He batted and threw right-handed. Severinsen had a 3� ...
to the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
for
Pat Dobson
Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. (February 12, 1942 – November 22, 2006) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers (1967–69), San Diego Padres (1970), Baltimore Orioles (1971–72), Atl ...
and
Tom Dukes on December 1, 1970. Beene was returned to the Orioles months later on May 16, 1971. In 1972, he was traded to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
for a player to be named later, which turned out to be
Dale Spier. Beene pitched very well for the Yankees, having
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
s under 2.50. He was dealt along with
Fritz Peterson
Fred Ingels Peterson (February 8, 1942 – October 19, 2023) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers from 1966 to 1976.
Peterson was ...
,
Steve Kline and
Tom Buskey
Thomas William Buskey (February 20, 1947 – June 7, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball middle relief pitcher. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
Career
Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Buskey attended Harris ...
from the Yankees to the Indians for
Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss (born December 26, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He served as a coac ...
,
Dick Tidrow
Richard William Tidrow (May 14, 1947 – July 10, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and the senior vice president of player personnel and senior advisor to the General manager (baseball), general manager for the San Francisco Gi ...
and
Cecil Upshaw
Cecil Lee Upshaw Jr. (October 22, 1942 – February 7, 1995) was an American professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who had a nine- year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1966–1969, 1971–1975), for the Atlanta Braves and Ho ...
on April 26, 1974.
Beene appeared in 112 MLB
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Associat ...
, all but six as a
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 ...
. In 288
innings
An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). In cricket and rounders, "innings" is ...
, he allowed 274
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...
and 111
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk,
occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...
, with 156
strikeouts
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
. Primarily a middle reliever, Beene notched eight career
saves, and compiled a career
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
of 3.63.
After his playing career, Beene spent 20 seasons (1981–2000) as a
scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
for the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
. One of the players he talked the Brewers into drafting was
Jim Morris
James Samuel Morris Jr. (born January 19, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' career is noted for making his ...
in 1983, who would make his major league debut 16 years later.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beene, Fred
1942 births
Living people
Baseball players from Brazoria County, Texas
Baltimore Orioles players
Cleveland Indians players
Dallas–Fort Worth Spurs players
Elmira Pioneers players
Fox Cities Foxes players
Hawaii Islanders players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers scouts
New York Yankees players
Oklahoma City 89ers players
People from Angleton, Texas
Sportspeople from Brazoria County, Texas
Rochester Red Wings players
Sam Houston Bearkats baseball players
Toledo Mud Hens players
20th-century American sportsmen