FanPost

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time Top 100: 43. Ginger Beaumont

Ginger Beaumont was a 5’8" centerfielder from Rochester, WI. Born on July 23rd, 1876, the left-handed batting right hander first surfaced in 1898 with the "A" level Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, hitting .354 with 11 stolen bases in 24 contests. He turned up in Pittsburgh the following season, hitting an NL sixth best .352 with 38 RBI and 31 stolen bases over 111 games as the Pirates everyday center fielder. Pittsburgh finished the season at 76-73, in seventh place and 25.5 games behind the pennant winning Brooklyn Superbas.

1900 would see Beaumont appear in an NL eighth most 138 games, hitting .279 with 50 RBI and 27 stolen bases. He appeared amongst the league leaders with 567 at bats (NL fourth), 632 plate appearances (NL seventh), and 105 runs scored (NL ninth). Pittsburgh ended the year in second place, 4.5 games behind the Superbas with a 79-60 record.

In 1901, Beaumont picked his batting average up to an NL 10th best .332, appearing in 133 games. He ranked third in the league with 120 runs, fourth with eight home runs, fifth with 36 stolen bases, and knocked in a career high 72. The Pirates won the NL pennant by 7.5 games, finishing with a 90-49 record. There was no World Series that season.

1902 would see Beaumont pick up his already impressive game by leading the National League with 193 base hits and with a .357 batting average. He ranked third in the league with 100 runs scored, fourth with 226 total bases, seventh with 21 doubles and with 67 RBI, and fourth with 33 stolen bases. Pittsburgh was head and shoulders above the competition, posting a 103-36 record and winning the pennant by 27.5 games over the Superbas.

In 1903, Beaumont led the NL with 272 total bases, 141 games played, 674 plate appearances, 613 at bats, 137 runs scored, and 209 hits. He ranked sixth with a .341 batting average, fourth with 30 doubles, and second with seven home runs. He also collected 68 RBI and stole 23 bases. After winning the pennant at 91-49, 6.5 games in front of the New York Giants, the Pirates advanced to the World Series against the Boston Americans. Beaumont hit .265, going 9-for-34 with a triple and two stolen bases, but the Pirates lost five games to three.

1904 would see Beaumont appear in a career high and NL third best 153 games, leading the NL with 673 plate appearances, 615 at bats, and 185 hits. He was seventh in the NL with a .301 batting average, second with 97 runs scored, fourth with 230 total bases, and sixth with 12 triples. He also had 54 RBI and 28 stolen bases. The Pirates were still pretty good, at 87-66, but only good enough this season for fourth place in the NL, 19 games behind the champion Giants.

1905 would see Beaumont hit .328 in 103 contests with 40 RBI and 21 stolen bases, scoring 60 runs. Pittsburgh again finished behind the Giants, in second place by nine games with a 96-57 record. He had less of an impact the following season, hitting a then-career low .265 while playing in only 80 contests, collecting 23 RBI and stealing one base. After the season, the Pirates traded him with pitcher Patsy Flaherty and middle infielder Claude Ritchey to the Boston Beaneaters for middle infielder Ed Abbaticchio.

In three seasons with Boston, Beaumont hit .341 in 398 games, scoring 168 runs with 174 RBI. He finished up his major league career in 1910 with the Chicago Cubs, hitting .267 in 76 games.

For a full rundown, check out the SABR bio by Daniel Ginsburg.

All-Time Statline: Eight seasons, 989 games, .321/.369/.393, 1292-for-4025, 757 runs, 127 doubles, 57 triples, 31 home runs, 421 RBI, 200 stolen bases, 114 walks, 87 strikeouts, 20.8 wins above replacement.

Tune in tomorrow for an all-star, Gold Glove catcher.

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