Former baseball relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, where he started off in 1991 until 1997 passed away at his home on Saturday at the age of thirty eight. Beck who was nicknamed “shooter” during his time in baseball also pitched for teams like the Chicago Cubs from 1998 to 1999, the Boston Red Sox from 1999 to 2001 and retired after playing for the San Diego Padres from 2003 to 2004.
The right handed pitcher was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the thirteenth round of the 1986 MLB Amateur Draft as a starting pitcher and was the 327th pick. He went on to be a three time All-Star in 1993-94 and 1997. He also led the National League in Games where he finished four times; he also holds the San Francisco Giants single season record for Saves in which he had forty eight in 1993, in 1994 he was the National League Relief Man of the Year, he has also led the National League in games eighty one in 1998, he also ranks 73rd on the Major League Baseball Career Games Pitched List in which he has seven hundred and four and ranks twenty first on the MLB Career Saves List which he has two hundred and eighty six. Beck is also ranked twenty ninth on the MLB Career Games Finished list in which he has five hundred and sixteen.
In his career Rod Beck faced major challenges especially when he had to stop playing so as to successfully recover from Tommy John surgery. At some point after retiring from baseball Beck got into movies and took a role in the forthcoming movie Work Week as the character Reggie, which is not out yet and is waiting to be released. Rod is survived by his wife, Stacey, as well as by his two children Kayla who is thirteen and Kelsey who is twelve.