"It was hard for me to think when I was back at Penn Hills that I would be doing something like this now," Beard told The Post-Gazette. "But it's always been my goal to play pro ball and I'm having so much fun now. It's a great experience and something I always wanted."
Beard experienced the pros that year and over the next six seasons. He made it up to AAA, but he never got to experience the majors.
Beard's career started that year as the Dodgers took him in the 47th round of the draft out of Spartanburg Methodist College.
Beard started with the Dodgers at short-season Salem. He hit .241 in 75 games. He hit six home runs and 54 RBI. He returned to the Northwest for 1990, at Yakima. He went 3 for 3, with a two-run shot in a June game. He also saw time at high-A Vero Beach and Bakersfield. He hit .266 overall.
That spring, the Dodgers switched the infielder to catcher, The Post-Gazette wrote.
"We feel catcher is where he has the best chance to make it to the major leagues," Dodgers minor league operations director Charlie Blaney told The Post-Gazette. "He has a strong arm and he's a very aggressive player."
Beard played 1991 with Bakersfield, 48 games where he hit .276. He then moved to the Athletics and high-A Modesto for 1992, where he played largely at third and hit .270.
He made AA Huntsville and AAA Tacoma in 1993, both briefly. He hit .143 in 19 games at Tacoma. He then played 1994 entirely at Huntsville and 1995 between Huntsville and AAA Edmonton. He hit .190 in 43 games at Huntsville and .230 in 22 games at Edmonton to end his career.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 13, 1989: Beard grows into minor league star
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 21, 1990: Dodgers assign Beard
More: The 1990 Yakima Bears
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,823
Made the Majors:1,067-37.8%
Never Made Majors:1,756-62.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 444
10+ Seasons in the Minors:266
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