Fred Beal
| Date and Place of Birth: | May 3, 1921 Lincolnton, NC |
| Date and Place of Death: | January 23, 1943 Camp White, OR |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Private |
| Military Unit: | US Army |
| Area Served: | United States |
Despite suffering from an ulcerated stomach, minor league pitcher, Fred Beal, was inducted in the Army.
Fred W. Beal, the son of Lawrence and Minnie Beal, was born on May 3, 1921 in Lincolnton, North Carolina,
and grew up playing on the sandlots of Cherryville, North Carolina,
where his parents worked in the cotton mills.
While his older brother Floyd – a catcher – enjoyed a minor league
career in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, Fred pitched for
Cherryville High School and the Cherryville Juniors, then worked in the
cotton mills before signing with
the Mooresville Moors of the Class D North Carolina State League in
1941. As Floyd batted .282 with 14 home runs for the Columbus Red Birds
of the South Atlantic League, young Fred contributed a 5–5 record and
4.60 ERA in 18 appearances as the Moors finished third, but beat the
pennant-winning Kannapolis Towelers in the playoffs before succumbing to
the Salisbury Giants in the finals.
In 1942, veteran catcher John Hicks became player-manager of the Moors.
Beal, along with Harry Jordan and James Patton, made up the starting
rotation, and he was 9–11 in 28 games (18 starts) for the second-place
club. Beal spent the tail end of the season with the Sanford Spinners of
the Class D Bi-State League, producing a 2–3 record in six appearances.
On October 24, 1942, Beal entered military service with the Army despite
suffering from an ulcerated stomach - something the Army was aware of at
the time of his medical. He was inducted at Camp Croft, South Carolina,
and served at Camp White in Jackson County, Oregon. On January 23, 1943,
Private Beal, who had been married to Margaret Leonhardt since November
19, 1939, died from bleeding ulcers at the 79th General Hospital at Camp
White. He was just 21, and is buried at Riverview Baptist Church
Cemetery in Lincolnton, North Carolina.
Margaret never remarried. She passed away, aged 63, in 1983.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
IP |
ER |
BB |
SO |
W |
L |
ERA |
|
1941 |
Mooresville |
N. |
D |
18 |
90 |
46 |
29 |
42 |
5 |
5 |
4.60 |
|
1942 |
Mooresville |
N. |
D |
28 |
161 |
99 |
57 |
56 |
9 |
11 |
5.53 |
|
1942 |
|
Bi-State |
D |
6 |
42 |
- |
18 |
14 |
2 |
3 |
- |
Fred Beal with the Mooreseville Moors in 1941 or 1942
Fred and Margaret
Fred Beal's funeral
Thanks to Michael E. Powell, editor of the Cherryville Eagle for
help with this article.
Photos used courtesy of the Beal family. Used with permission.
Date Added: January 23, 2012 Updated: October 28, 2019
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