Jim Beauchamp

James Edward Beauchamp (BEE-chum) (August 21, 1939 – December 25, 2007) was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from 1963 to 1973 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets. He attended Grove High School in Grove, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University before being signed by the Cardinals in 1957. He was the father of former minor league baseball player Kash Beauchamp. He was 6'2' and weighed 205 pounds. He is a direct descendant of John Beauchamp of the Plymouth Company and pronounced his name as /ˈbiː-tʃʌm/ (BE-chum).

Professional career

A power hitting minor leaguer, Beauchamp had perhaps the best year of his professional career in 1963 for the Double-A Tulsa Oilers, batting .337 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI. He also collected 35 doubles and 10 triples while scoring 95 runs. Beauchamp won the 1963 Texas League MVP Award, and a sign showing him in his batting stance stood outside Tulsa's Oiler Park until the stadium was demolished in 1980. He earned a short call up to the majors in 1963, making his major league debut on September 22 at the age of 24, going hitless in three major league at-bats.