Jim Beauchamp: 1973 N.L. Champion Mets Pinch Hitter (1972-1973)

James Edward Beauchamp was born August 21, 1939 in Vinita, Oklahoma to his parents Dennis & Beulah Beauchamp. His father & grandfather were lawyers.

Beauchamp attended Oklahoma State University, the same school that would later see Robin Ventura, Jeromy Burnitz, and Pete Incaviglia, get to the major leagues. Jim was a top athlete in basketball, track & baseball where he drew comparisons to Mickey Mantle also an Oklahoma native.

The six-foot two right hand hitting outfielder, first baseman was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958 with a $50,000 bonus. 

Minor Leagues: Injuries would hurt his chances of living up to his potential. First, he crashed into a concrete wall & suffered a concussion, spending over a week in the hospital. Two years later he dislocated his shoulder & he needed surgery; it was never the same.

He spent over a decade in the minor leagues making brief big league call ups. In the minor leagues he was more of a power hitter, hitting over 20 HRs four times. He also showed some speed, stealing over twenty bases three times.

In 1963 Beauchamp won the Texas League MVP, at AAA Tulsa hitting 31 HRs with 105 RBIs while batting .337. 

MLB Career:  He was first called up to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963 striking out against the Cincinnati Reds Joe Nuxhall in his first MLB at bat.

Although he was a promising prospect, he was traded to the Houston Colt .45s in 1964, along with Chuck Taylor for outfielder Carl Warwick. Beach was back in the minors in 1964, hitting 34 HRs with 83 RBIs while batting .285. 

He would bounce back & forth to the majors over the next two years, hitting below .200 at the big-league level both times in less than thirty games both years.

Braves Playing Career: In 1965 he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves, where he played four games, spending all of 1966 at AAA Richmond, hitting .319. 

In 1967 the Braves franchise relocated to Atlanta; he played in four games going 0-4. 

Reds Career: In October 1967 he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds along with Mack Jones & Jay Ritchie in exchange for Deron Johnson. He spent two seasons there as a reserve player. In 1968 he collected 2 HRs & 14 RBIs in 57 at bats, while batting .263. In 1969 he played in a career high up to that point 43 games, batting .250. 

In 1970 he was traded to the Houston Astros where he played in 31 games but his just .192. In June he was traded to the St. Louis Cards where raised his average to .259 & played in 44 games there batting .238 overall that season.

The journeyman never made it as a full-time player in the big leagues, appearing mostly as a reserve outfielder & pinch hitter. He had 46 lifetime pinch hits and became a well-known respected bench role player.

In October of 1971, he came to the New York Mets with Harry Parker, Chuck Taylor and Tom Coulter in exchange for Art Shamsky, Rich Folkers, Jim Bibby and Charlie Hudson.

Mets Career: On April 22nd, 1972, he made his dramatic debut, as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning in the second game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. With the bases loaded he singled off pitcher Steve Hamilton, scoring Tommie Agee with the winning run, as the Mets swept the twin bill 7-6.

On June 28th, he came up with a pinch-hit RBI single, off the Expos Woodie Fryman, breaking the 2-2 tie with the winning run at Montreal.

Walk Off HR: On August 21st, Beauchamp was the hitting star of the against his old Astros teammates. Jon Matlack & Jerry Ruess went at it in a pitcher's duel & in the 7th inning Beauchamp, broke a 1-1 tie hitting a solo HR off Ruess. The Astros tied it up on Cesar Cedeno's double.

In the bottom of the 9th, with the score tied 2-2, the Mets had John Milner aboard as Beachamp came up facing Jim Ray. He blasted a walk off HR leading the Mets to victory & giving that years Rookie of the Year Jon Matlack his 11th victory.

The next day he hit another HR, had three hits and drove in all four Met runs, helping Tom Seaver to a 4-2 win over those same Astros. 

On the last day of the season, Beauchamp hit a two run HR in the 6th inning leading the Mets to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Expos. Beauchamp would have five pinch hits on the year (going 5-23) as well as seeing action in 35 games at first base.

In his first year as a Met, he hit .242 with five HRs 42 RBIs ten runs scored & seven walks in 58 games with 120 at bats.

1973 Mets Pennant Season: In the 1973 Mets pennant season, Beauchamp would turn 34 years old, as one of the older players on the team. He hit a career best .279, driving in 14 runs with a double, a triple, & seven walks while playing in 50 games. 

Nine of his 17 hits came as a pinch hitter as he became Yogi Berra’s most reliable Mets pinch hitter off the bench.

On April 22nd, in his first game of the ’73 season, Beauchamp had a two run pinch hit single off Joe Gilbert, against the Montreal Expos in a 13-3 Met win. On April 26th he got a start at first base & in the 5th inning tied up the game with an RBI single scoring Willie Mays. The Mets went on to a 2-1 win.

On May 13th, in Pittsburgh he had big day, starting at first base, going 2-4 against the Pirates while driving in four runs in the 6-4 Mets win.

On July 9th, Tom Seaver & Don Wilson had a pitcher's duel going, until the Houston Astros scored a 7th inning run on Lee May's HR. Beauchamp came to bat as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 9th with two on & two outs. He delivered with a base hit off Wilson to tie the game. The Mets went on to a 2-1 extra inning victory.

By the end of July, he was hitting just under .300 (at .298) and was very important part of the Mets run to winning the NL East. On July 29th, he came into the game in the 4th inning to play first base. His two-run double were the only Mets runs in a losing effort.

September Pennant Race: He would go three for twelve the rest of the year as a pinch hitter. The Mets would go 23-9 from August 27th on with a 19-8 September to take the NL East title.

In late September during a seven-game win streak, the Mets played two important games against the first place Pittsburgh Pirates, Beauchamp came up with two big pinch hits. 

On September 18th in Pittsburgh, his 9th inning single ignited a five-run rally where the Mets came from three runs behind to win the game.

Two nights later on September 20th, at Shea Stadium, his 8th inning single led to the game tying run. Ted Martinez came into run for him & Felix Millan delivered the RBI base hit scoring Martinez. This was the famous “Ball on the Wall” game where the Mets would win it in extra inning & move to within a half game of first place. 

Post Season- 1973 World Series: At the end of his ten-year career, he finally had made a post season. Beachamp did not see any action in the NLCS victory over the Reds. 

In the 1973 World Series against the Oakland A's, he went 0-4 as a pinch hitter. He came on & made the second out of the 9th inning of the 2-1 Game #1 loss, popping out off pitcher Darold Knowles.

He came to bat for in the 6th inning Ed Kranepool in the wild Game #2, hitting a fielder's choice that scored Jerry Grote with the Mets 6th run. They went on to an extra inning win to even the series.

In Game #3 at Shea Stadium, he came to bat & lined out in the 8th inning. He made his final at bat in Game #7 striking out looking against Ken Holtzman in the 5th inning with the Mets already down 4-0.

Mets Stats: He was released by the Mets before the 1974 season began and chose to retire. In his two-year Mets career, he played in 108 games, hitting for a .254 average with 46 hits 2 doubles five HRs 33 RBIs & a .303 on base%. For the Mets he played 46 games at first base & 5 in the outfield.

Career Stats: Beauchamp finished his ten-year playing career batting .231 hitter with 153 hits 14 HRs 18 doubles 90 RBIs & 79 runs scored playing in 393 games. 

Retirement: Immediately after retirement he began to coach & manage in the minor leagues. At first with the Cardinals organization (1974) through Bing Devine. Then with the Houston Astros organization (1975-1979) where he won a manager of the year award in 1978. He then went to the Reds organization (1980-1981) & the Toronto Blue Jays (1982-1987) where he managed the core of their early 1990's championship team.

Braves Coach & Bobby Cox's Friend: Beauchamp then returned to the Braves organization in 1988. After 16 years as a minor league manager, he was back in the big leagues in 1991 as the Atlanta Braves bench coach (1991- 1998) during the Braves glory years under manager & good friend Bobby Cox. Those Braves were in four World Series with Beauchamp on the bench. Jim had met Bobby Cox as teammates, back in 1967 at Richmond. The two developed a lifelong friendship. 

In 1999 Beauchamp became the Braves minor league outfield coordinator.

Passing: In Spring Training of 2007, Beauchamp began to feel sick, he was soon diagnosed with Leukemia. At age 67, the leukemia & pneumonia landed him in an Atlanta area hospital. Bobby Cox was very upset, that he would soon lose his longtime friend, dear to him & the Braves organization.

In 2007 Braves alumni Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, Ryan Langerhans, and Bobby Cox visited Beauchamp in the hospital. They were forced to wear sanitized gowns and masks due to his health conditions.

Quotes- Bobby Cox: "He's been a part of our organization forever. All of these young kids
love him. He taught all of the Major League outfielders how to play the outfield." 

Jim Beauchamp Passed away on Christmas Day 2007.

Family: Jim's son is minor league player & Manager, Kash Beauchamp. His other son, James, Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 but did not make the majors.

Honors: In the 2007-2008 seasons, the Braves wore a patch on their uniform sleeve in his honor that simply said “Beach”.