Buck Becannon

James Melvin Becannon

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut October 15, 1884
• Final Game May 28, 1887
• Born August 22, 1859 in New York, NY USA
• Died November 5, 1923 in New York, NY USA

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Biographical Information

Buck Becannon pitched well in 1884 and hit well in 1885. He also appeared in one game in 1887. Born in New York, NY, Becannon played all his major league games for New York teams. He broke in during 1884, winning the one game he pitched. In 1885, he went 2-8 as a pitcher but hit .303 on a team that hit .247. Other than Dave Orr, Becannon had the highest batting average on the team. He came back for one game in 1887, playing third base.

When the Players League formed in 1890, it used the so-called "Keefe and Becannon" baseball, a ball designed by Becannon and Tim Keefe. Keefe and Becannon was a sporting goods enterprise set up by the two players. Buck's brother, Billy Becannon, was an umpire in the American Association while Buck umpired a couple of games himself, one in the AA in 1884 and one in the National League in 1885.

Related Sites

• Buck Becannon at the SABR Bio Project