Clarence Howeth "Ginger" Beaumont (July 23, 1876 – April 10, 1956) was an American

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

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), ...

who spent most of his career with 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 ...

(1899–1906) and

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

(1907–1909). He was born in

Rochester, Wisconsin Rochester is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,785 at the 2020 census. The village is located within the former Town of Rochester. On November 4, 2008, the village of Rochester voted to consolidate with t ...

, and attended

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and has ...

. During the years 1900–1904 – with the Pirates winning pennants from 1901–1903 – Beaumont led the

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 ...

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

three times, scored 100 runs four times, leading the league once, and also captured the 1902 batting championship with a .357 mark. As the Pirates' regular leadoff hitter, he was the first player ever to bat in a

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

game. Nicknamed "Ginger" for his thick red hair, he used his excellent speed to great advantage; on the day before his 23rd birthday in his rookie season, he had six infield singles and became the first player to score six runs in a game. He was also the first player in major league history to lead his league in hits three consecutive years, which has been accomplished by only five others; he led the NL in hits a fourth time with the 1907 Braves. Often bothered by leg injuries, he joined the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

for the 1910 season, and made pinch-hitting appearances in the first three games of the

1910 World Series The 1910 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1910 season. The seventh edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Philadelphia Athletics against the ...

before leaving the major leagues with a .311 career batting average and on-base average of .362. He played one more season in the minor leagues before retiring to his Honey Creek, Wisconsin farm. He was one of the first inductees to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1951. Beaumont suffered two strokes in his seventies, and died at age 79 in

Burlington, Wisconsin Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population of the city was 11,047 as of the 2020 census. History Prior to the arrival of Europea ...

. Beaumont has a baseball field named after him in his hometown of Burlington. His name also represents part of the Burlington Little League organization. In July 2015, a monument to Beaumont was dedicated at Beaumont Field.

References

*''Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia'' (2000). Kingston, New York: Total/Sports Illustrated. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaumont, Ginger 1876 births 1956 deaths 19th-century baseball players Major League Baseball center fielders Pittsburgh Pirates players Boston Braves players Chicago Cubs players Baseball players from Wisconsin People from Rochester, Wisconsin National League batting champions Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players Milwaukee Creams players St. Paul Saints (AA) players Beloit College alumni

See also

References

External links