Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

who played for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

(–),

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

(–),

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...

(1999–) and

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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

(–). He batted and threw

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

Career

San Francisco Giants

The

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

drafted Beck as a starting pitcher in the 13th round (327th pick) of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft. Prior to the 1988 season, he was traded to the

organization. In , while with the

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...

of the California League, he posted a record of 11–2 between

opening day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

and June 14, when he was promoted to the

Shreveport Captains The Shreveport Captains (1971–2000) and Shreveport Swamp Dragons (2001–02) were a professional minor-league baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana. They were affiliated with the California Angels (1971–72), Milwaukee Brewers (1973– ...

of the Double A

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. Beck made his Major League debut on May 6, 1991, against the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They p ...

. His performance was forgettable (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER), but his season numbers were more impressive. He had a 3.78

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Com ...

, pitched innings in 31 games, and struck out 38 while walking 13. In , Beck took over as the regular closer from Dave Righetti and posted a record of 3–3 with 17 saves and a 1.76 ERA. He pitched 92 innings over 65 games and struck out 87 while walking only 15. In he recorded 48 saves, including 24 consecutive. At the time, both marks were Giants franchise records. Beck found success using a sinker, slider, and splitter.

September 18, 1997

On September 17 and 18,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

came to San Francisco to play a two-game series at

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...

. The Dodgers were leading the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

with a record of 84–67. The Giants were in 2nd place with a record of 82–69; 2 games behind. The Giants won the first game 2–1 behind lefty Kirk Rueter. In that contest,

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...

hit a two-run

homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...

in the first inning for the Giants, while

Raúl Mondesí Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino (born March 12, 1971) is a Dominican former politician and baseball player. Mondesí played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons, primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and made his MLB debut with them in ...

hit a solo shot in the fifth for the Dodgers. Beck did not pitch in the game. On September 18, he came into the game in the top of the 10th with the score tied 5–5. As the season had progressed, Beck had lost his closer's job to Roberto Hernández. In fact, Beck had blown a save three days earlier in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

while trying to close that game. He had given up 4 earned runs in just of an inning. Beck got into trouble immediately by giving up consecutive singles to

Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball te ...

Eric Karros Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Karros played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1991 to 2004 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. He was the Nat ...

, and

. With the bases loaded, nobody out and the crowd booing loudly, manager

Dusty Baker Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the ...

came out to talk to Beck, who was obviously struggling. Baker told Beck, "You're the guy." Baker left Beck in, and Beck proceeded to strike out

Todd Zeile Todd Edward Zeile (; born September 9, 1965) is an American former professional baseball third baseman, catcher, and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played sixteen seasons, from 1989 to 2004, for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago ...

looking at an inside-corner fastball. When he got pinch hitter

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie," is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

to bounce a splitter into an inning-ending double play, the crowd of 52,188 went crazy. Two innings later, Giants reserve catcher

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Ro ...

led off with a home run to left field, giving Beck a 6–5 win. The Giants, now tied with the Dodgers for the division lead, would go on to win the Western Division crown.

Chicago Cubs

After the 1997 season, the Giants felt Beck's best years were behind him, and allowed him to leave as a free agent to sign with the Chicago Cubs, replacing him with

Robb Nen Robb Allen Nen (born November 28, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He spent most of his career as a closer. He is the son of former major league first baseman Dick Nen. He currently works in the Giants' front ...

. Beck set a career high in saves in 1998, his first season with the Cubs, converting 51 of 58 chances. However, in the 1999 season, Beck battled injury, and was traded by Chicago to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Mark Guthrie and a player to be named later, who turned out to be

Cole Liniak Cole Edward Liniak (born August 23, 1976) is an American former Major League Baseball player who played infielder from - for the Chicago Cubs. Liniak is most known in sports circles as the man the Cubs acquired for relief pitcher Rod Beck Rodne ...

Boston Red Sox

Beck pitched well for the surging Red Sox, although he struggled in the postseason (giving up a

Bernie Williams Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. (born September 13, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and a musician. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees from 1991 through 2006. ...

walk-off home run in Game One of the

1999 ALCS The 1999 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a matchup between the East Division Champion New York Yankees (98–64) and the Wild Card Boston Red Sox (94–68). The Yankees had advanced to the Series after sweeping the West Division C ...

) and was not as good in his two full seasons with the team as he had been in the past. After the 2001 season, Beck had

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...

and missed the 2002 season.

Beck to the Minors

Beck successfully recovered from Tommy John surgery and, as a free agent, was signed by the Cubs in January 2003. While pitching for the team's AAA affiliate

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs play their ho ...

during his comeback, Beck gained national attention for living in a motor home behind the team's Sec Taylor Stadium (now

Principal Park Principal Park, formerly Sec Taylor Stadium, is a minor league baseball stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. It is the home field of the International League's Iowa Cubs. Features Principal Park is at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Racco ...

) in

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

. Beck warmly welcomed fans to drop by and visit, signed autographs and offered free beer. This time he did not play in the majors for the Cubs, and they released him in May 2003.

San Diego Padres

Immediately after leaving the Cubs in 2003, Beck returned to the Major Leagues with the Padres to fill in for the injured

Trevor Hoffman Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego P ...

. He converted 20 saves in 20 chances, while posting a 1.78 ERA. His statistics earned him the National League Comeback Player of the Year award. In 2004, Beck dealt with personal problems during

Spring Training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

and struggled in a seventh inning role for the Padres. Beck was released by San Diego in August.

Death

On June 23, , Beck died alone at his home in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

.Rod Beck Dead at 38
ESPN.com news services. ESPN.com. June 24, 2007. The Maricopa County medical examiner did not publicly disclose the cause of death and the Phoenix police did not suspect foul play. Beck's ex-wife stated she believed Beck's death to be drug related.

Cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

and heroin were found in his home and bedroom. Beck was buried in Phoenix wearing his Chicago Cubs uniform despite pitching only two seasons for the team. He was added to the ballot for the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball ...

, earlier than the typical retirement rule due to his death, and received two votes.

References

External links

ChicagoCubsOnline.com coverage
at 2007 Cubs Convention
Rod Beck
at Baseballbiography.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Rod 1968 births 2007 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from California San Francisco Giants players Chicago Cubs players Boston Red Sox players San Diego Padres players National League All-Stars Sportspeople from Burbank, California Baseball players from Phoenix, Arizona Medford A's players Clinton Giants players San Jose Giants players Shreveport Captains players Phoenix Firebirds players Iowa Cubs players Pawtucket Red Sox players Unsolved deaths