1. Career

2. Expulsion

3. References

4. External links

  National Association of Base Ball Players

West Philadelphia (1867)

Geary of Philadelphia (1867–1868)

Keystone of Philadelphia (1868–1869)

Philadelphia Athletics (1870)

  League player

Philadelphia Athletics ({{Baseball year|1871}}, {{Baseball year|1875}})

New York Mutuals ({{Baseball year|1872}}, {{Baseball year|1876}})

Philadelphia White Stockings ({{Baseball year|1873}}–{{Baseball year|1874}})

Philadelphia Centennials ({{Baseball year|1875}})

Louisville Grays ({{Baseball year|1876}})

Career

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bechtel began his professional career in {{Baseball year|1871}} for the Philadelphia Athletics, when they joined the new National Association.^[2] Bechtel had played for the Athletics in {{Baseball year|1870}}, and stayed with the team during its transformation from the previous version of the National Association.^[4] He batted .351 that season while playing in 20 of the team's 28 games,^[2] as the Athletics won the season's championship.^[5] Bechtel had also played for a couple of other Philadelphia teams during his amateur career before 1870. He was formerly of the Philadelphias in 1867, and the Keystones in both 1868 and {{Baseball year|1869}}.^[6]

The following season, he signed with the New York Mutuals, who had offered him a higher salary in {{Baseball year|1872}}, and batted .302 and scored 64 runs in the team's 54-game schedule.^[1] After just one season in New York, Bechtel moved back to Philadelphia, playing the next two seasons for the Philadelphia White Stockings with mixed success at the plate, batting .244 in {{Baseball year|1873}} and .278 in {{Baseball year|1874}}.^[2] When the {{Baseball year|1875}} season began, he again moved, this time to the Philadelphia Centennials, and was their pitcher in all 14 games that the club played.^[2][7]

On May 26, 1875, after a 2–12 start, Bechtel and fellow Centennial Bill Craver were sold to the Philadelphia Athletics for $1,500.^[2] This is the first known sale of ballplayers from one team to another in baseball history. It is theorized that sale was actually an enticement for the Centennials to fold, which they did.^[8]

Expulsion

Rumors surrounded Bechtel's play ever since the late 1860s, indicating that he was a very good fielder, one of the better fielders of the day, but his play at times became sloppy. Henry Chadwick once stated regarding his play: "At the commencement of the season, Bechtel's play in left field was equal to any player, but, as the season wore on, he grew careless, and from other causes unnecessary to mention, he played poorly."^[9]

On May 20, 1876, in a game against the Mutuals, he made three of the team's nine errors, all three in crucial game situations. After the game, he became a "much suspected man" by the press and his team alike, so the team suspended him for crooked play.^[10]

On June 10, Bechtel wired teammate Jim Devlin a message stating "We can make $500 if you lose the game today. Tell John (manager Jack Chapman) and let me know at once. BECHTEL." Devlin wired him back explaining that he was not that kind of player, and presented the telegram to the team's management. Louisville immediately suspended him from the team.^[11] Bechtel was picked up by the Mutuals and played in a couple of games for them before the end of the season. The National League followed the lead of the Grays and suspended Bechtel before the {{Baseball year|1877}} season, and despite attempts for re-instatement, he was denied.^[11] Devlin himself was also banned for life the following season when he and a couple of teammates were paid for losing games.^[3] At this time, it is unknown when and where Bechtel died, but Peter Morris, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, claims that he most likely died in Philadelphia on April 3, 1921.^[12]

References

External links

• Retrosheet

• Atkinson-Koskinen Site 45.13
• Atkinson Lake
• Atkinson Memorial Presbyterian Church
• Atkinson (Middlesex cricketer)
• Atkinson Mills, Pennsylvania
• Atkinson-Mingarelli theorem
• Atkinson Ministry, 1883–1884
• Atkinson, Nova Scotia
• Atkinson Road Bridge
• Atkinson's
• Atkinsons Building, London
• Atkinsons Dam, Queensland
• Atkinson-Shiffrin model
• Atkinson-Smith House
• Atkinsons of London
• Atkinson's People
• Atkinson-Stiglitz theorem
• Atkinson, Thomas
• Atkinson Tighe
• Atkinson Trading Co. v. Shirley
• Atkinson Vehicles Limited
• Atkinsonville, Indiana
• Atkinson, William
• Atkinson-Williams Warehouse
• Atkinson–Mingarelli theorem