Edward Joseph Baecht (May 15, 1907 – August 15, 1957) was a right-handed

relief pitcher 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 weat ...

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for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and

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Biography

Baecht was born in Paden, Oklahoma. Baecht made his Major League debut on April 24, 1926. He was the third-youngest man to appear in a Major League game that season, trailing only Rufus Meadows and

Mel Ott Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants, from through . He batted left-handed an ...

. Baecht posted a 2–0 record and completed his only start in his rookie season, but made his mark primarily as a reliever, a role he fulfilled in 27 games. Despite an

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 ...

of 6.11, Baecht was given a chance as a starter again in 1927. After allowing six runs in just eight innings of work and taking the loss, Baecht was returned to the minor leagues. He returned in 1928, pitching in nine games, again with a single starting appearance. His ERA remained high at 6.00, and Baecht was again returned to the minors for further seasoning. He would not return to the majors until 1931, this time as a member of the Chicago Cubs. There, he enjoyed his finest professional season, sporting a career-low ERA of 3.76 in 22 games, including a career-high six starts and two complete games. This did not translate to a lasting job in the majors, as Baecht made just one relief appearance in 1932, firing a scoreless inning. After another extended absence from the major leagues, Baecht reemerged in 1937 at age 30 with the St. Louis Browns after signing as a free agent on August 11. He appeared in just three games, allowing fifteen runs (nine earned) on thirteen hits, including three home runs. His ERA of 12.79 in 6 innings was a career worst. His September 3, 1937 appearance proved to be his last at baseball's highest level.

Death

Baecht died on August 15, 1957, in

Grafton, Illinois Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 626. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Gra ...

, and is interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville, Illinois.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baecht, Ed 1907 births 1957 deaths Baseball players from Oklahoma Chicago Cubs players Philadelphia Phillies players St. Louis Browns players Major League Baseball pitchers People from Jersey County, Illinois People from Okfuskee County, Oklahoma