AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn baseball pitcher and two-time World Series champion Joe Beckwith passed away Saturday at the age of 66.
Beckwith pitched for the Tigers from 1974-77 and went on to spend seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1979-83, '86) and Kansas City Royals (1984-85). He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
"Auburn University, Auburn baseball and the Auburn community lost a legend in Joe Beckwith," head coach Butch Thompson said. "I'm so thankful for his contributions through the years. He has represented us so well. I'm thankful to Auburn and our athletics department for recognizing Joe and his family a few weeks ago at Plainsman Park.
"I'll never forget his friendship and how he stayed connected and continued to root for his alma mater and for this baseball team," Thompson added. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe and his family during this time."
One of the most accomplished pitchers in program history, Beckwith was a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers under head coach Paul Nix and played a key role in leading Auburn to the program's second College World Series in 1976. Beckwith remains the program record holder with 20 complete games and also ranks third in program history in career ERA (1.92), fourth in wins (31) and seventh in innings pitched (338.0). He was a two-time All-SEC honoree and Auburn's triple crown winner in 1977.
Beckwith was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the 1977 MLB Draft and enjoyed a seven-year big league career in Los Angeles and Kansas City. He went on to win a pair of World Championships, one with the Dodgers in 1981 and another with the Royals in 1985. Beckwith appeared in 229 games and turned in a 3.54 career ERA in his MLB career.
A native of Auburn, Alabama, Beckwith was born on January 28, 1955 in Opelika, Alabama.
Before he pitched for the Tigers, Beckwith served as Auburn's bat boy in the 1960s. He attended and played for Auburn High School before beginning his career on The Plains. His dad, Bill Beckwith, worked for Auburn for more than 40 years in public relations and ticket sales.
Beckwith is survived by his wife, Lee Dyas Beckwith, and his children, Allie Fuller Selman, Reynolds Fuller Tatum, Bailey Beckwith Divers, Tyler Beckwith and Merrill Beckwith Jordan.
A funeral service for Beckwith will be held at Auburn United Methodist Church Monday, May 24 at 11:30 a.m. CT. A visitation will precede the funeral at 9:30 a.m.
Donations can be made to Joe Beckwith's scholarship fund at cfeastalabama.org.