Heinz Reinhard Becker

Major League Baseball Player. Played Major League baseball as a 1st Baseman for 4 seasons (1943, 1945 to 1947) with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. Born in Berlin, Germany in the midst of World War I, he gained a chance to play in the Majors due to sudden lack of regular ball players because of World War II military enlistment. Spent most of his short career as a back up, and helped the Cubs win the National League Pennant in 1945. He played in 3 games of the subsequent World Series against the Detroit Tigers, singling and walking in three pinch-hitting plate appearances (the Cubs lost to the Tigers 4 games to 3 in their last appearance to date in the World Series). Nine games into the 1946 season he was sent to the Indians, where he played in 50 more games, then 2 games of the 1947 season before his career ended. His totals were 152 Games Played, 94 Hits, 45 Runs, 2 Home Runs, 47 RBIs, and a .263 career Batting Average.