Joe Beggs

Joseph Stanley Beggs
(Fireman)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 182 lb.
• School Geneva College
• Debut April 19, 1938
• Final Game April 24, 1948
• Born November 4, 1910 in Rankin, PA USA
• Died July 19, 1983 in Indianapolis, IN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Joe "Fireman" Beggs had a nine-year career in the major leagues and was a key part of the Cincinnati Reds team that won the 1940 World Series. Beggs was primarily a reliever, except in 1938 as a rookie and in 1946 as a veteran. He led the league in saves in 1940 (when it was not an official statistic) and was among the leaders from 1941 to 1943.

Before coming to the majors, Beggs had pitched for the 1937 Newark Bears team that won 109 games. He came close to pitching a no-hitter, with the only hit being a smash that caromed off his leg. Beggs went 21-4 that year, on a team that also featured Charlie Keller hitting .353. In 1938, Beggs pitched 12 more games for Newark, going 6-3, but also pitched 14 games at the major league level with the New York Yankees. He was 27 that year, and went 3-2 on a team that featured the veteran Lou Gehrig, the young Joe DiMaggio, and won the 1938 World Series (Beggs did not appear in the series). He gave up 7 home runs in 58 innings, with 3 of the homers hit by Jimmie Foxx.

Joe was traded after the 1939 season to the Reds and, in 1940, had his signature season, going 12-3 with 7 saves. His ERA was an even 2.00 in a league where the average ERA was 3.85 and the Reds won exactly 100 games. He pitched one inning in Game 3 of the 1940 World Series, coming in when the Reds were losing 5-2 in the 8th inning. He gave up an earned run and an unearned run in the 8th and the Detroit Tigers went on to win the game, 7-4. However, Cincinnati won the series in 7 games. He continued to pitch as a reliever during wartime in 1941-1943, with winning records and at least 5 saves each year. His ERA was excellent in 1942 and 1943 but a bit under par in 1941. In 1944, he pitched in only one game, a starting effort where he pitched 9 innings and gave up only two runs to get the win. Beggs entered the Navy with a commission of lieutenant in April 1944 and was released from active duty in February 1946.

Coming back in 1946, he was used mostly as a starter by the Reds and continued to pitch well, with a 12-10 record on a team that finished well under .500. His 2.32 ERA was third best in the National League. His control was excellent, as he gave up fewer than 2 walks per nine innings pitched. By 1947 he was 36 years old and when he started the season slowly, he was traded to the New York Giants where he spent most of the season and where his ERA of 4.23 was only a bit worse than the league average of 4.06 (the Giants team average was 4.44). Jackie Robinson stole home against him that year. The following year, 1948, he pitched in only one game in April, and was done as a major leaguer. After his playing days, he managed the Charleston Senators (1949-1950) and the Bluefield Blue-Grays (1952).

Notable Achievements

• NL Saves Leader (1940)
• Won two World Series with the New York Yankees (1938) and the Cincinnati Reds (1940); he did not play in the 1938 World Series

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1949	Charleston Senators	Central League	67-68	4th	Cincinnati Reds	Lost League Finals
1950	Charleston Senators	Central League	58-73	5th	Cincinnati Reds
1952	Bluefield Blue-Grays	Appalachian League	52-64	5th (t)	None

Related Sites

• Joe Beggs at the SABR Bio Project