Joe Becker (baseball)

Joseph Edward Becker (June 25, 1908 – January 11, 1998) was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played in 40 games for the Cleveland Indians in 1936–37. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

Becker started his professional career in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, and played for various clubs between 1930 and 1933. After not playing in 1934, he spent 1935 with the San Francisco Seals. He was then picked up by the Cleveland Indians, and played for them for two seasons. In his major league career, he played in 40 games and had a .241 batting average.

Becker (left) swaps hats with Toronto Maple Leafs owner Jack Kent Cooke. Becker managed the Leafs in 1951–52.

After serving in the Navy during World War II he managed in the minors from 1946–54, including stints with the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs, Jersey City Giants and Charleston Senators.

Between 1955 and 1970, Becker was a pitching coach in the National League for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1955–64), St. Louis Cardinals (1965–66) and Chicago Cubs (1967–70). A member of the relatively small fraternity of former catchers who became celebrated throughout baseball as a pitching coach (which included men such as Ray Berres, Dave Duncan, Rube Walker and Mike Roarke), Becker coached for four NL championship Dodger clubs, including the 1955, 1959 and 1963 world champions. His coaching career ended in August 1970, when Becker was felled by a heart ailment while in uniform for the Cubs at Wrigley Field.^[1]

Becker survived his 1970 illness, and died at age 89 in Sunset Hills, Missouri.

References

↑ The Associated Press, 1970-8-13

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
Bullpen wiki page

Preceded by Ted Lyons	Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach 1955–1964	Succeeded by Lefty Phillips
Preceded by Howie Pollet	St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach 1965–1966	Succeeded by Billy Muffett
Preceded by Freddie Fitzsimmons	Chicago Cubs pitching coach 1967–1970	Succeeded by Herman Franks

Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 World Series Champions

1 Pee Wee Reese 4 Duke Snider 6 Carl Furillo 8 George Shuba 10 Rube Walker 12 Frank Kellert 14 Gil Hodges 15 Sandy Amorós 17 Carl Erskine 18 Jim Hughes 19 Jim Gilliam 23 Don Zimmer 30 Billy Loes 32 Sandy Koufax 34 Russ Meyer 36 Don Newcombe 37 Ed Roebuck 39 Roy Campanella (NL MVP) 40 Roger Craig 41 Clem Labine 42 Jackie Robinson 43 Don Hoak 45 Johnny Podres (World Series MVP) 46 Don Bessent 48 Karl Spooner 54 Dixie Howell

Manager 24 Walter Alston Coaches 22 Billy Herman 31 Jake Pitler 33 Joe Becker

Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

Los Angeles Dodgers 1959 World Series Champions

2 Don Demeter 4 Duke Snider 5 Norm Larker 6 Carl Furillo 8 Ron Fairly 9 Wally Moon 14 Gil Hodges 16 Danny McDevitt 19 Jim Gilliam 20 Rip Repulski 22 Johnny Podres 23 Don Zimmer 29 Chuck Essegian 30 Maury Wills 32 Sandy Koufax 35 Johnny Klippstein 38 Roger Craig 40 Stan Williams 41 Clem Labine 43 Charlie Neal 44 Johnny Roseboro 45 Chuck Churn 51 Larry Sherry (World Series MVP) 53 Don Drysdale 58 Joe Pignatano

Manager 24 Walter Alston Coaches 1 Pee Wee Reese 7 Chuck Dressen 31 Greg Mulleavy 33 Joe Becker

Regular season

Los Angeles Dodgers 1963 World Series Champions

3 Willie Davis 6 Ron Fairly 8 Johnny Roseboro 9 Wally Moon 11 Ken McMullen 12 Tommy Davis 14 Bill Skowron 16 Ron Perranoski 19 Jim Gilliam 20 Al Ferrara 22 Johnny Podres 23 Marv Breeding 25 Frank Howard 30 Maury Wills 32 Sandy Koufax (CYA, NL MVP, and World Series MVP) 34 Dick Calmus 35 Doug Camilli 39 Ken Rowe 44 Dick Tracewski 45 Pete Richert 53 Don Drysdale

Manager 24 Walter Alston Coaches 2 Leo Durocher 27 Pete Reiser 31 Greg Mulleavy 33 Joe Becker

Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry

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