Glenn Beckert

Glenn Alfred Beckert
(Bruno)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• School Allegheny College
• High School Pittsburgh Perry High School
• Debut April 12, 1965
• Final Game April 27, 1975
• Born October 12, 1940 in Pittsburgh, PA USA
• Died April 12, 2020 in Englewood, FL USA

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Biographical Information

“I like everything about that kid Beckert... He’s got a fine chance to be one of the front-line stars in the game. He has good hands, a strong arm, and he gives the pitcher a real battle... Defensively, he’s a good second baseman… and he’ll improve with experience... If he can master punching that ball to right field, he could be another Billy Herman.” - Leo Durocher, to Edgar Munzel of the Chicago Sun-Times, December 25, 1965

Glenn Beckert was the Chicago Cubs' regular second baseman for nearly a decade. Underrated as a fielder, he was an excellent contact hitter and one of the toughest batters of his day to strike out. Although he had little power and drew few walks, his .283 lifetime major league batting average was quite good for the second dead-ball era.

Originally a shortstop, Beckert led the Pacific Coast League in putouts and assists in 1964. Following the tragic death of Ken Hubbs, the Cubs made Beckert the team's second baseman upon his arrival in the big leagues in 1965, and he went on to lead the National League with 494 assists in his rookie year. He won a Gold Glove in 1968 and led the NL with 98 runs scored, the first time since the dead-ball era that a league leader had not scored at least 100. Beckert was an NL All-Star for four straight years, starting in 1969. He hit a career-best .342 in 1971 but finished behind Joe Torre (.363) and tied with Ralph Garr (.342) in the batting race. Following the 1973 season, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, along with Bobby Fenwick, for Jerry Morales. He was released by the Padres in April 1975 and retired from baseball.

During his time with the Cubs, Beckert was the roommate of Ron Santo. Following his baseball career, he was a commodities trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. Glenn is (through 2019) the only major league position player to come out of Allegheny College, which he attended from 1959 to 1962, since Russ McKelvy came to the majors in 1878.

Notable Achievements

• 4-time NL All-Star (1969-1972)
• NL Gold Glove Winner (1968)
• NL Runs Scored Leader (1968)

Related Sites

• Glenn Beckert at the SABR Bio Project