Alvin O'Neal McBean (born May 15, 1938) is a former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player from the
United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
as a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
, most notably for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
with whom he played the majority of his career.
St. Thomas tryouts
McBean grew up playing
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
in his native
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
. He was discovered when the Pittsburgh Pirates held a tryout in
St. Thomas in . Originally only there to take pictures for a local paper, McBean was convinced by friends to try out, and ended up receiving an invite to
Spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
.
Breaking in with the Pirates
After three seasons in the Pirates'
farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, in which he went 28-21 with a 3.57
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
, McBean made his major league debut on July 2, in the first game of a
doubleheader against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
at
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of t ...
. Entered a tied game, the first batter he faced,
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. (April 15, 1931 – March 23, 2007) was an American professional baseball player and later served on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from through . A six-time All-S ...
, reached on an
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
by
second baseman Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed "Maz" and "The Glove", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A 7-time All-S ...
. A
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
,
wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third stri ...
&
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
later, the Giants had plated two
runs. A four run eighth
inning
In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...
by the Pirates spared McBean from taking the loss in his major league debut.
In his next 6 appearances, McBean pitched 10.2 innings without surrendering a run, and earning the first two wins of his career. His first career start also came against the Giants on September 11. He allowed three
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
s over nine innings, and left with the game tied for the no-decision. For the season, he went 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA & 49
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s.
McBean was converted into a full-time
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
in , and won his first three decisions. He finished with a 15-10 record & 3.70 ERA over the full season.
Latino All-Star
He was 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA when he was converted into a
reliever
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather ...
in May . He was dominant in that role, going 11-2 with a 2.12 ERA and earning eleven
saves out of the
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
. After the season, he joined
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
's
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
All-stars for a game at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
on October 12. McBean followed
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1960 to 1975, almost entirely the San Francisco Giant ...
's four scoreless
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
with four scoreless of his own, and drove in a run with a sixth inning
triple
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* ...
to lead the NL to a 5-2 victory.
''Sporting News'' Fireman of the Year
McBean was even more dominant in . Following a June 27 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, McBean was 3-0 with an 0.69 ERA & eight saves. He earned 21 saves over the season, which was good enough for second place in the NL (to the
Houston Colt .45s
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
'
Hal Woodeshick
Harold Joseph Woodeshick (August 24, 1932 – June 14, 2009) was an American left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers (1956 and 1961), Cleveland Indians (1958), the original modern Washin ...
). Coupled with his 8-3 record, he was named ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
NL
Fireman of the Year
The ''Sporting News'' Reliever of the Year Award was an annual award presented to the best relief pitcher in each league in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was established in by ''The Sporting News'' (TSN) as the Fireman of the Year Award. At th ...
. He was again one of the NL's top relievers in , going 6-6 with a 2.29 ERA & 19 saves.
With
Roy Face
Elroy Leon Face (born February 20, 1928), nicknamed The Bullpen Baron, is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. During a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A pioneer of ...
returning in from an injury plagued 1965 season, he resumed the
closer role. Meanwhile,
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Harry Walker
Harry William Walker (October 22, 1918 – August 8, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. Known by the nickname "Harry the Hat", he played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball between 1940 and 1955, ...
relegated McBean to mop up duty. He appeared in 32 of the Pirates' 70 losses; the Pirates were 15-32 in games he appeared.
Return to starting
Walker was fired midway through the season, and replaced by his predecessor,
Danny Murtaugh
Daniel Edward Murtaugh (October 8, 1917 – December 2, 1976) was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive, and coach in Major League Baseball ( MLB). Murtaugh is best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pira ...
. At the time, McBean was 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA & four saves. After sixteen appearances out of the bullpen for Murtaugh, McBean was returned to the
starting rotation
R
rabbit ears
:Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...
. He went 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA & five
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s in seven starts for the manager he broke into the big leagues with. He went 9-12 with a 3.58 ERA in .
1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
McBean was the 50th player selected in the
1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball created via the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion and which would begin play in the 1969 season.
The expansi ...
by the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. He made just one appearance with the Padres before being dealt to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
for
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Tommy Dean
Tommy Douglas Dean (born August 30, 1945 in Iuka, Mississippi) is an American former professional baseball player. A shortstop, his career extended from 1964–71 and included 215 games played in Major League Baseball over four seasons (1967; ...
& pitcher
Leon Everitt. Again a reliever, McBean went 2-6 with a 3.91 ERA & four saves out of the Dodgers' bullpen. After just one inning pitched with the Dodgers in , McBean was released, and he returned to
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. He would make seven appearances, all in relief, before his May 18 release. He would pitch in the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
' system into the season before retiring.
Career statistics
{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
,
W
, L
, Pct
,
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
,
G
,
GS
,
CG
,
SHO
Sho, Shō or SHO may refer to:
Music
* ''Shō'' (instrument) (笙), a Japanese wind instrument
* ''Kane'' (instrument) (鉦), a Japanese percussion instrument
* Sho?, a Dubai rock band
People
* Shō (given name), including ''Sho''
* Shō (su ...
,
SV
,
IP
,
H
,
ER
,
R
,
HR
,
BB
,
K
,
WP
,
HBP
,
BAA
,
Fld%
,
Avg.
, -
, 67
, 50
,
, 3.13
, 409
, 76
, 22
, 5
, 63
, 1072.1
, 1058
, 373
, 430
, 63
, 365
, 575
, 35
, 30
, .262
, .931
, .197
McBean was a decent hitting pitcher. He had three career home runs, one of which came in his second career at bat. He also hit a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
off the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
'
Larry Jaster
Larry Edward Jaster (born January 13, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher between 1965 and 1972 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos and the Atlanta ...
.
Personal life
On August 27, 1962, McBean married Olga Santos Negron of
Playa de Ponce, whom he had met the previous winter, while pitching in the
Puerto Rican Winter League
Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to:
Places
*El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain
*Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
*Puerto Colombia, Colombia
*Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela
*Puerto Galera, Orient ...
. His Pirates roommate Roberto Clemente served as best man while the bride was given away by 42-year-old rookie reliever
Diomedes Olivo
Diomedes Antonio Olivo Maldonado (January 22, 1919 – February 15, 1977), nicknamed " Guayubin" for his hometown, was a Dominican professional baseball player and scout. The left-handed pitcher appeared in 85 Major League Baseball pitched over ...
. Upon retirement, McBean returned to the Virgin Islands, and joined the St. Thomas Housing, Parks & Recreation Department. Moving up to deputy commissioner, he chartered the Little League program & beautification projects. He also has a landscaping business.
He also opened the Alvin McBean Recreation Complex on St. Thomas.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:McBean, Al
1938 births
Living people
Major League Baseball pitchers
Pittsburgh Pirates players
San Diego Padres players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball players from the United States Virgin Islands
Clinton Pirates players
Salem Rebels players
Wilson Tobs players
Savannah Pirates players
Columbus Jets players
Eugene Emeralds players
People from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands