Ben Beville

Clarence Benjamin Beville
(Candy Ben)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut May 24, 1901
• Final Game June 2, 1901
• Born August 28, 1877 in Colusa, CA USA
• Died January 5, 1937 in Yountville, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher and first baseman Ben Beville was much more effective as a hitter than as a pitcher. As a pitcher, he lost both games he pitched, while as a hitter he hit .286 with a .571 slugging percentage. Beville was able to get into one game at first base only because a couple of players on his team had been ejected from the game. Larry McLean was 19 years old, but other than him, no player on the 1901 Boston Americans was younger than 23, which was Beville's age.

Ben is the only Beville to come to the majors (through 2019) other than Monte Beville, who came to the major leagues just a couple of years after Ben. They do not seem to be related. Monte was from the middle of the country while Ben was born, and died, in California. Ben was the only major leaguer born in Colusa, CA, until Mike Griffin was born there 80 years later.

Further Reading

• Bill Nowlin: "Ben Beville", in Bill Nowlin, Maurice Bouchard and Len Levin, eds.: New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans, Society for American Baseball Research, Phoenix, AZ, 2013, pp. 46-48. ISBN 978-1-933599-58-8

Related Sites

• Ben Beville at the SABR Bio Project