Beam Jr., Joseph Fred "Freddy"

FREDDY WAS DISTRICT 15 COMMISSIONER FOR 16 YEARS. IN 1980, HE WAS NAMED COMMISSIONER OF THE YEAR FOR A SIX COUNTY DISTRICT.

AT AGE 26, HE ORGANIZED A LEAGUE IN NEW HAVEN. KENTUCKY. AND PLAYED SOFTBALL FOR 13 YEARS. DURING THIS PERIOD, HE PLAYED ON SIX CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS AND MANAGED THREE OTHER TEAMS. SOFTBALL FANS AND PLAYERS LABELED FREDDY AS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE 20-VEAR\ HISTORY OF THE NEW HAVEN LEAGUE. HE WAS A TOP HITTER IN THE LEAGUE IN 1965. AND WON THE LEAGUE MVP AWARD.

HE QUIT PLAYING IN 1973 AND HAS BEEN AN UMPIRE AND PLANS TO CONTINUE TO UMPIRE. BEAM WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ATHLETIC ABILITY. EXCELLED IN BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL, TRACK, AND SOFTBALL. HE RAN THE 100-YARD DASH IN 10.2 SECONDS- WAS GIVEN A TRY-OUT WITH THE BOSTON RED SOX. HE PLAYED BASKETBALL AT ST. CATHERINE HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS FIRST STRING GUARD FOR FOUR YEARS. HE COACHED IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THREE YEARS AND WAS A REFEREE FOR SEVEN YEARS.

FREDDY CARVED OUT A SPORTS NAME FOR HIMSELF DURING HIS U.S ARMY YEAR IN 1957-1958 WHEN HE WAS A M.P. AT WEST POINT ACADEMY. HE PLAYED FASTPITCH SOFTBALL, AS A LEFT FIELDER, SHORTSTOP, THIRD BASEMAN, AND SECOND BASEMAN WITH THE MILITARY POLICE OF THE FIRST ARMY. HE PLAYED BASKETBALL WITH THE ALL-STAR TEAM AVERAGING 12 POINTS A GAME AND WAS KNOWN AS LITTLE FREDDY WHO COULD SHOOT THE TWO-HAND SET SHOT.