Background and career
Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was an American professional baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (1991–1997), Chicago Cubs (1998–1999), Boston Red Sox (1999–2001) and San Diego Padres (2003–2004). He batted and threw right-handed.
Rodney Roy Beck was born on August 3, 1968, in Burbank, California.
The Oakland Athletics drafted Beck as a starting pitcher in the 13th round (327th pick) of the 1986 Major League Baseball draft. Prior to the 1988 season, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants organization. In 1989, while with the San Jose Giants of the California League, he posted a record of 11–2 between opening day and June 14, when he was promoted to the Shreveport Captains of the Double A Texas League.
Beck made his Major League debut on May 6, 1991, against the Montreal Expos. His performance was forgettable (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER), but his season numbers were more impressive. He had a 3.78 ERA, pitched 52+1⁄3 innings in 31 games, and struck out 38 while walking 13. In 1992, Beck took over as the regular closer from Dave Righetti and posted a record of 3–3 with 17 saves and a 1.76 ERA. He pitched 92 innings over 65 games and struck out 87 while walking only 15. In 1993 he recorded 48 saves, including 24 consecutive. At the time, both marks were Giants franchise records. Beck found success using a sinker, slider, and splitter.
After the 1997 season, the Giants felt Beck's best years were behind him, and allowed him to leave as a free agent to sign with the Chicago Cubs, replacing him with Robb Nen. Beck set a career high in saves in 1998, his first season with the Cubs, converting 51 of 58 chances.
However, in the 1999 season, Beck battled injury, and was traded by Chicago to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Mark Guthrie and a player to be named later, who turned out to be Cole Liniak. Beck pitched well for the surging Red Sox, although he struggled in the postseason, giving up a Bernie Williams walk-off home run in Game One of the 1999 ALCS. Beck was not as good in his two full seasons with the team as he had been in the past. After the 2001 season, Beck had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2002 season.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
