#171 - Glenn Beckert
The Cubs second baseman was coming off a nice 1968 season, winning the Gold Glove, leading the team in hits, and putting together a 27 game hitting streak.
He was just as good in 1969, hitting .291 and being named to the All Star team for the first time (of four) in his career. Beckert played in only 131 games, missing almost the entire month of June with a broken thumb.
It can be argued that Beckert, like most of the starters, was worn out by September. Glenn hit only .211 for the month. But then again, since he had June off, he shouldn't have been that tired. Was it the pressure of the pennant race? Or did the baseball gods just not want the Cubs to win?
This story that Ron Santo tells will give you a glimpse of the competitive nature of Glenn Beckert. Ron and Glenn were roommates on the road, and though he was a diabetic, Santo told no one, including his roomie. Beckert was mired in a deep slump, while Santo was going good. In the hotel room, Glenn caught a glimpse of Santo in the bathroom giving himself an insulin shot. Beckert asked Santo if he could get a shot of whatever Ron was giving himself because if that was helping Santo hit over .300, he wanted some!
Beckert made his home in suburban Chicago and after retiring from baseball, he got his competitive fix by working as a trader on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade.
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