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Beckley, Jake

Jacob Peter Beckley
Born: August 4, 1867, Hannibal, Missouri
Died: June 25, 1918, Kansas City, Missouri
Bats: 
Left
Throws: 
Left
Played For: 
Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1888-1889), Pittsburgh Burghers (1890), Pittsburgh Pirates (1891-1896), New York Giants (1896-1897), Cincinnati Reds (1897-1903), St. Louis Cardinals (1904-1907)
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee: 1971
Biography: 

A skilled hitter and solid first baseman, Jake Beckley's career spanned 20 seasons over two centuries and multiple National League squads. He had 13 seasons in which he hit over .300 and batted .309 during a career that began in 1888. He totaled 2,930 career hits, including 246 triples. He also holds the career record for putouts by a first baseman with 23,709. Beckley's total of 2,376 games at first base is second to Eddie Murray's.

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Did You Know: 
that Jake Beckley was an umpire in the Federal League in 1913, one year before the short-lived circuit became a Major League?
He was so good at 'laying down' the ball that he had a trick of his own whereby he would flip the bat, grab the meat end of the club in his hands and bunt the ball perfectly with the handle of the bat.
Ed O'Neill, Courier Post 1971