| George Bechtel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Right fielder /Pitcher | |
| Born:(1848-09-02)September 2, 1848 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: April 3, 1921(1921-04-03) (aged 72) (assumed) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 20, 1871, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 19, 1876, for the Louisville Grays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .277 |
| Runs batted in | 165 |
| Win–loss record | 7-20 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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George A. Bechtel (September 2, 1848 — possibly April 3, 1921) was an Americanright fielder andpitcher in professionalbaseball's early history. He played in all five seasons of baseball's first all-professional league, theNational Association, and later played in the first season of baseball's firstmajor league, theNational League, when the Association folded.[1] In 1876, he became the first player in Major League history to besuspended for life for intentionally losing games for money.[2]
Born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, Bechtel began his professional career in1871 for thePhiladelphia Athletics, when they joined the new National Association.[1] Bechtel had played for the Athletics in1870, and stayed with the team during its transformation from the previous version of theNational Association.[3] Hebatted .351 that season while playing in 20 of the team's 28 games,[1] as the Athletics won the season's championship.[4] Bechtel had also played for a couple of other Philadelphia teams during his amateur career before 1870. He was formerly of the Philadelphias in1867, and the Keystones in both 1868 and1869.[5]
The following season, he signed with theNew York Mutuals, who had offered him a higher salary in1872, and batted .302 and scored 64runs in the team's 54-game schedule.[6] After just one season in New York, Bechtel moved back to Philadelphia, playing the next two seasons for thePhiladelphia White Stockings with mixed success at the plate, batting .244 in1873 and .278 in1874.[1] When the1875 season began, he again moved, this time to thePhiladelphia Centennials, and was their pitcher in all 14 games that the club played.[1][7]
On May 26, 1875, after a 2–12 start, Bechtel and fellow CentennialBill Craver were sold to the Philadelphia Athletics for $1,500.[1] This is the first known sale of ballplayers from one team to another in baseball history. It is theorized that sale was actually an enticement for the Centennials to fold, which they did.[8]
Rumors surrounded Bechtel's play ever since the late 1860s, indicating that he was a very good fielder, one of the better fielders of the day, but his play at times became sloppy.Henry Chadwick once stated regarding his play: "At the commencement of the season, Bechtel's play inleft field was equal to any player, but, as the season wore on, he grew careless, and from other causes unnecessary to mention, he played poorly."[9]
On May 30, 1876, in a game against the Mutuals, he made three of the team's nineerrors, all three in crucial game situations. After the game, he became a "much suspected man" by the press and his team alike, so the team suspended him for crooked play.[10]
On June 10, Bechtel wired teammateJim Devlin a message stating "We can make $500 if you lose the game today. Tell John (managerJack Chapman) and let me know at once. BECHTEL." Devlin wired him back explaining that he was not that kind of player, and presented the telegram to the team's management. Louisville immediately suspended him from the team.[11] Bechtel was picked up by the Mutuals and played in a couple of games for them before the end of the season. The National League followed the lead of the Grays and suspended Bechtel before the1877 season, and despite attempts for re-instatement, he was denied.[11] Devlin himself was also banned for life the following season when he and a couple of teammates were paid for losing games.[2] According to Bill Lamb, a member of theSociety for American Baseball Research, Bechtel had a stroke on April 1, 1921, and two days later, he died at St. Mary's Hospital in Philadelphia on April 3, 1921.[12][13]
· Baseball Almanac