Rod Beck

 Back when I was doing my Righting Wrongs series, I had mentioned Rod Beck as a player who was elite earlier in his career but was pretty human by the time the official MLB Showdown set started in 2000. Now that I've finally taken the time to properly go through his career, let's take a look at all those seasons of Beck...

Beck was drafted by the Oakland A's in 1986, but before the 90's he would get traded across the Bay and debut in 1991 with the Giants. The rookie who would go on to save 286 games would only get one in his rookie season, but his chart showed very good promise.

When Beck arrived the San Francisco, Dave Righetti was the Closer, but by the end of '92 he was the heir to the role as he adds 17 Saves to his resume. His control doubles and his chart is outstanding. The transition between Closers can be a stressful period for some teams, but the Giants lucked out here.

Beck's best season yet (as mentioned before here) where he makes his first all star game and racks up 48 Saves. The chart stays amazing, too.

Beck got some MVP votes in 1993, but in 1994 he finished 8th in Cy Young voting. Just 28 Saves in the strike-shortened season but he maintains his elite chart, even with the drop in control.

Beck in '95 had a pretty decent card, but he set a certain expectation by this point that disappoints some. 1-4 for strikeouts just isn't what we're used to from Beck.

1-5 Strikeouts are better for a chart, but not eye-popping. Rod Beck stayed human.

Things got a bit hairy for Beck by 1997. At one point in the season he lost his Closer role to Roberto Hernandez. Despite the hardships, he led the league in games finished (66) and still pulled off 37 Saves. 1997 was the first taste of the postseason for Rod, and in the sweep to the Florida Marlins, no Closer was needed as Beck pitched in only one game. Regardless, the Giants allowed Beck to leave for free agency after the season was over.

Beck caught on with the Cubs for 1998. Beck proved to his doubters that he was still capable of one last elite season. Beck played in half the teams games that year, saving a career high 51 games. The strikeouts on his chart are the best since his elite Giants days. The playoffs were just as unforgiving where Beck's team were victims to another NLDS sweep, this time to the Braves where they brutalized the man in game 3 beatdown.

The 2000 MLB Showdown base set features Beck as a member of the Boston Red Sox, but he in fact played only 12 games that season in Boston. Beck began the season still with the Cubs and stayed there until the trade deadline. Injuries marred his season and the team decided to ship Beck to the AL.
Beck got another crack at the playoffs, and this time his team would escape the LDS round...only for Boston to run smack into the 90's dynasty Yankees. Beck pitched in Game 1 of that series where he gave up a walk-off homer to Bernie Williams and the Red Sox ultimately fell to the Yankees in 5 games.
The Showdown series would cover the entirety of Beck's time with Boston from 1999 to 2001. Tommy John surgery recovery cost Beck a 2002 season.

Beck would sign back with the Cubs in 2003 and start the season in the minors where he famously lived in a trailer behind the AAA Iowa Cubs stadium. At the end of May the Cubs would release him without calling him up, but that freed him up to sign with the San Diego Padres in June. Filling in for the injured Trevor Hoffman, Beck would get the final 20 Saves of his career with his good control and respectable chart. He didn't blow a single Save opportunity and won the NL Comeback Player of the Year.

2004 was not as kind for Rod, as personal issues and a failure to settle into a middle relief role would lead to his release in August.

Beck would tragically die young, found dead in his home in Arizona in June, 2007.