Hal Bevan

Who was Hal Bevan?

Harold Joseph Bevan was an American professional baseball player. A longtime minor league first baseman, catcher and third baseman, he was a pinch hitter and backup third baseman in Major League Baseball who had brief trials for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics and Cincinnati Reds. Bevan batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 198 pounds. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His cousin, George Strickland, was a Major League shortstop, coach and manager.

In parts of three Major League seasons, Bevan was a .292 hitter with one home run and five RBI in 15 games played. His home run, a solo shot, came as a pinch hitter off Vinegar Bend Mizell of the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 12, 1961; the following day, Bevan made his final Major League appearance before being sent to the Triple-A Jersey City Jerseys at the spring cutdown. Despite his brief term with the team, he was featured in Cincinnati relief pitcher Jim Brosnan's memoir of the Reds' 1961 season, Pennant Race. During his long minor league career, Bevan compiled a batting average of .295 with 1,618 hits and 90 home runs. He led the Venezuelan Winter League with a .351 average in the 1954–1955 season.