Jim Beattie (Maine Baseball Hall of Fame 1990) had a nine-year major league pitching career that included a win in the 1978 World Series tor the New York Yankees. "In order to be the best, you have to play against the best," said Beattie. "| was fortunate to be able to do that every day of my life just by getting out of bed and asking what we were going to do today.”
Beattie’s comments describe his brother, George E. Beattie, who today joins his brother on the MBHoF roster.
George Beattie is 44, but in 1993 he led the Southern Maine Men's Baseball League in batting with an average of about .500.
At South Portland High School, Beattie hit .339 for the Riots as team captain. He was named the All- Telegram League shortstop.
re could also pitch. In an American Legion game at Lisbon, Beattie stuck out 15 batters in seven innings.
Beattie's coach was Leroy Rand, who remembered the game when he spoke with Larry Woodward, a sports staff writer with the Portland newspapers in 1994. "Bill Monbouquette stopped George as we came off the field, said Rand. "And a few days later, | got a letter from George, postmarked Oneonta, N.Y. He'd signed with the Yankees." Beattie played one summer of Single-A baseball as an infielder for the Oneonta Yankees in the New York-Penn League. He was then released.
still only 18, Beattie enrolled at the University of Southern Maine. But his brief professional experience made him ineligible for college competition.
Beattie then transferred to Acadia University in Nova Scotia. In basketball, his team won the Canadian national championship.
He hadn't played high school football, (Beattie was an outstanding baseball and basketball player 1966-1970) but became a wide receiver and defensive end. After one year and not having played since junior high school, Beattie was invited to try out by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. During Rookie camp with Toronto, he was asked to make a position change to running back. He decided not to and returned home rather than pursue a career in professional football.
But he remained active in sports. He has played softball and he organized and plays in a 3-on-3 basketball league in Scarborough.
Baseball, however, holds Beattie's best memories and remains his favorite sport.
in a 1994 interview with the Portland Press Herald, Beattie said, "| use the experience of years to make the plays. Most of the players are in pretty good shape, although the rookies -the thirty year olds- try to show us up.”
Jim Beattie, now an executive with the Seattle Mariners, said he frequently thinks about his brother when they were growing up in South Portland. "George's record as a high school and college athlete and then as a professional speaks very well for the athletic programs in which he participated," said Jim Beattie.
“sports have been a big part of George Beattie's life. | owe much of my success In baseball and basketball to the competition and instruction my brother gave to me as a youngster"
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