Historical Highlight: Ted Beard
Former outfielder Ted Beard kept finding his way to Indianapolis in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Thirteen of his 19 years in the minor leagues were spent in Indy, which made him the longest-tenured position player in franchise history. His time in the Circle City lands him among all-time career
Former outfielder Ted Beard kept finding his way to Indianapolis in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Thirteen of his 19 years in the minor leagues were spent in Indy, which made him the longest-tenured position player in franchise history. His time in the Circle City lands him among all-time career batting leaders in not only runs scored (683) and doubles (139) but also games played (977), hits (880), triples (76) and walks (707).
Beard first donned an Indians uniform in 1947, but only saw one at-bat after spending the majority of the season with the York White Roses of the Interstate League (B League).
He returned to Indy in 1948 and made a name for himself both at the plate and in the outfield. He hit .301 (154-for-511) with career highs in doubles (31), triples (17) and runs scored (131), and he led the American Association in triples, runs scored and walks (128). Fans nicknamed him “The Arm” after he recorded 31 outfield assists that same year. His stellar season in Indianapolis led to his major league debut with Pittsburgh the same year on Sept. 5 vs. Chicago (NL), sparking a big-league career that would span seven seasons.
He spent part of five straight seasons in Indianapolis before Pittsburgh moved its affiliation to the West Coast. In 1956, Beard returned to Indianapolis with the Cleveland organization, and when the Tribe became a White Sox affiliate the next year, he stayed put in the Circle City.
In 1957, Beard hit for a career-high .347 mark (121-for-349) with 20 doubles, 12 triples and 10 home runs. He spent the entirety of the next six seasons in Indianapolis, including an 85-game stint as player-manager in 1960, before retiring in 1963 at the age of 42.