Jim Beauchamp

From The Met Wiki

Jim Beauchamp played for the Mets in 1972 and 1973, his final two major league seasons. Before coming to New York, Jim spent time with the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals for a total of eight seasons. His career ended with the Mets' 1973 National League championship team.

Beauchamp (pronounced B-champ) became a Met in an eight-player deal with the Cardinals on October 18, 1971. Jim wore uniform #24 at the beginning of the 1972 season before Willie Mays joined the team on May 11. Mays was given the number on merit and Beauchamp switched to #5.

Jim's first appearance as a Met came in the second game of a doubleheader on April 23, 1972. He got a bases-loaded single to drive home Tommie Agee in the 12th inning for a 7-6 Mets victory to complete a sweep of the Cubs. Also in '72, Beauchamp hit two home runs in a game on August 21, the second of which came in the ninth inning to give the Mets a 4-2 win over the Astros. This game was played on Jim's 33rd birthday.

In 1973, Beauchamp concluded his career by playing in his first and only World Series. He had four hitless pinch-hitting appearances in the Mets' seven game loss to the Oakland Athletics. At Pittsburgh on May 13, Jim had a pair of two-run singles in a 6-4 Mets victory over the Pirates.

Beauchamp went on to a fifteen-year career as a minor league manager. He led the Charleston Charlies (1977) and the Richmond Braves (1989) to International League championships. Jim was also the bench coach for the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 1998.

Death

On December 25,2007, Jim died of leukemia at his home in Union City, Georgia at the age of 68.