{{Short description|American baseball player (1889–1965)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Hugh Bedient |position=Pitcher |image=Hugh_Bedient.jpg |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date=October 23, 1889 |birth_place=Gerry, New York, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1965|7|21|1889|10|23}} |death_place=Jamestown, New York, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate= April 26 |debutyear= 1912 |debutteam= Boston Red Sox |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 29 |finalyear=1915 |finalteam= Buffalo Blues |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=59–53 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.08 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=420 |teams= * Boston Red Sox ({{baseball year|1912}}–{{baseball year|1914}}) * Buffalo Blues ({{baseball year|1915}}) |highlights= *World Series champion (1912) }} '''Hugh Carpenter Bedient''' (October 23, 1889 – July 21, 1965) was an American starting pitcher who played in the American League for the Boston Red Sox (1912–1914) and with the Buffalo Blues of the Federal League (1915). Bedient batted and threw right-handed.

==Baseball career==

===Semi-pro=== Pitching for a semi-professional team based in Falconer, New York, on July 25, 1908, Bedient struck out 42 batters in a 23-inning, 3–1 victory against a team from Corry, Pennsylvania. Two days later, the ''Jamestown Evening Journal'' ran the headline: "Broke all records. Bedient of Falconer struck out 42 men", and the ''Corry Journal'' stated, "Corry and Falconer make World's record."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Foster |first1=Michael |last2=Stahl |first2=John |title=Hugh Bedient |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hugh-bedient/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=9 July 2021 |ref=SABR}}</ref>

===Professional=== Bedient was selected by Boston Red Sox from Fall River (New England League) in the major league draft on September 1, 1910.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hugh Bedient |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbedih101.htm |website=Retrosheet.org |access-date=9 July 2021|ref=Retro}}</ref> He made his major league debut in 1912. He won 20 games as a Red Sox rookie and outdueled legend Christy Mathewson, defeating the New York Giants, 2–1, in Game Five of the 1912 World Series. He also pitched the first seven innings of the final game, won by the Red Sox in the tenth, 3–2.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Krueger |first1=Joseph J. |title=Baseball's Greatest Drama: World Series History, 1903-1945 |orig-date=1943 |date=2012 |publisher=Classic Publishing Co |isbn=978-1258256920 |pages=78–83 |ref=Krueger}}</ref>

His hometown honored his return in October 1912 with a parade and celebration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hyde |first1=Frank |title=Recalling When Hugh Bedient Came Home |url=https://www.post-journal.com/sports/local-sports/2021/07/recalling-when-hugh-bedient-came-home/ |access-date=9 July 2021 |date=4 October 1962}}</ref>

In three seasons with the Red Sox, Bedient had a mark of 44 wins and 35 losses with 314 strikeouts and a 3.05 earned run average in {{frac|667|1|3}} innings pitched. He later became a member of the outlaw Federal League. Pitching for the Buffalo Blues, he went 16–18 with 106 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA in {{frac|269|1|3}} innings, leading the league with 10 saves.

During the 1915 season, Bedient pitched for the Buffalo Blues of the outlaw major league called the Federal League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hugh Bedient |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bediehu01.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=9 July 2021 |ref=BBRef}}</ref>

===Minor league===

Bedient played a significant time in the minor leagues, as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=Hugh Bedient Minor League Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=bedien001hug |website=Baseball Reference Minor Leagues |access-date=9 July 2021 |ref=BBRefMinor}}</ref>

* 1910 - Fall River (New England League) * 1911 - Providence (Eastern League) * 1916 - 1917 and 1921 - 1923 - Toledo (American Association) * 1924 - Portland (Pacific Coast League) * 1925 - Atlanta (Southern Association)

==Later life==

After leaving baseball, Bedient owned a farm in Levant, a hamlet of Jamestown, New York. He was buried at Levant Cemetery in Poland, Chautauqua County, New York.

==Memorial==

A memorial marker is located a Falconer, New York, in the Falconer Park baseball field on Mosher Street, where Bedient once played.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tichy |first1=Eric |title=Marker To Honor Local Baseball Legend |url=https://www.post-journal.com/news/page-one/2021/07/marker-to-honor-local-baseball-legend/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |publisher=Jamestown Post Journal |date=7 July 2021}}</ref>

==See also== *List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=b/bediehu01|fangraphs=1000764|brm=bedien001hug}} *[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=bediehu01 Baseball Almanac] *[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pbedih101.htm Retrosheet]

{{1912 Boston Red Sox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedient, Hugh}} Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Buffalo Blues players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Baseball players from Chautauqua County, New York Category:1889 births Category:1965 deaths Category:Fall River Indians players Category:Providence Grays (minor league) players Category:Toledo Iron Men players Category:Portland Beavers players Category:Atlanta Crackers players