Walter Beall
Encyclopedia
Walter Esau Beall was an American
major league
baseball
player who played for the New York Yankees
on several championship teams in the 1920s.
Born in Washington, D.C.
, Beall was a standout pitcher in the minor leagues
before his contract was sold by Rochester
of the International League
to the New York Yankees
in August 1924 for $50,000. Beall was a member of the 1927 New York Yankees, a team often considered the greatest ever, though he only pitched one inning
that year (May 30 against the Philadelphia Athletics
).
Beall is remember as having one of the greatest curveball
s in the history of baseball, though his lack of control prevented him from becoming a great pitcher. Teammate Babe Ruth
noted that Beall possessed the "greatest curveball I ever saw."
Beall died in Suitland, Maryland on January 28, 1959.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who played for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on several championship teams in the 1920s.
Born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Beall was a standout pitcher in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
before his contract was sold by Rochester
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in August 1924 for $50,000. Beall was a member of the 1927 New York Yankees, a team often considered the greatest ever, though he only pitched one inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
that year (May 30 against the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
).
Beall is remember as having one of the greatest curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
s in the history of baseball, though his lack of control prevented him from becoming a great pitcher. Teammate Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
noted that Beall possessed the "greatest curveball I ever saw."
Beall died in Suitland, Maryland on January 28, 1959.