Jim Baechtold

James Edward Baechtold


Born:
December 9, 1927
McKeesport, PA

Died:
August 29, 2011
Richmond, KY


Career
1944-45 Moon High School - Coraopolis, PA (High School)
1945-46 Moon High School - Coraopolis, PA (High School)
1948-49 Eastern Kentucky University (College)
1949-50 Eastern Kentucky University (College)
1950-51 Eastern Kentucky University (College)
1951-52 Eastern Kentucky University (College)
1952-53 Elmira Colonels (ABL)
1952-53 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1953-54 New York Knicks (NBA)
1954-55 New York Knicks (NBA)
1955-56 New York Knicks (NBA)
1961-62 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach
1962-63 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach
1963-64 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach
1964-65 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach
1965-66 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach
1966-67 Eastern Kentucky University (College) Head coach

Born in Pennsylvania to Walter and Emma Baechtold, Jim grew up in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, playing football, basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating, he found it difficult to play basketball in college since the college ranks were dominated by returning soldiers from World War 2, so he joined the U.S. Army. Bulking up in the army to 6'4 and 215 pounds, Baechtold was offered an athletic scholorship to play football and basketball at Alabama, but on his way to Tuscaloosa, he stopped off in  Richmond, Kentucky to visit some friends and wound up deciding to go to Eastern Kentucky, instead. In 1952, he was drafted second overall in the NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. After some seasoning with the Elmira Colonels, Baechtold joined the Bullets in December of 1952. He was traded after the season to the the New York Knicks where he played for 3 more seasons, averaging just under 10 points for his career. After a knee injury ended his career, he returned to EKU to teach and coach.

Jim died in 2011 after over two years of battling of battling multiple myeloma.

Jim married Shirley in 1954 and they had two sons and two daughters.

Source:
Obituary, WKYT, August 30, 2011

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/baechji01.html