Background
Bocek was born in Chicago, Illinois and was popularly known as "Beltin" Bo from Cicero".
Bocek was born in Chicago, Illinois and was popularly known as "Beltin" Bo from Cicero".
He graduated from Crane High School (Chicago) in Chicago and played college baseball at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
He played professionally for the Chicago White Sox. While Bocek was a student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he became a fairly prominent summer amateur and semipro player in baseball and softball. Chicago White Sox manager Lew Fonseca noticed him and arranged a tryout at Comiskey Park, during which Bocek hit several balls into the upper deck.
He signed with the White Sox in the second half of 1933, becoming the fifth-youngest player in Major League Baseball that season, and then spent the first part of the 1934 season with the team as well.
Subsequently, he played several years in the minor league systems of the Saint Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees. During his playing career, he had an official heights of 6"1", and an official weight of 185 pounds.
After the end of Bocek"s playing career, he worked as a draftsman for Danly Machine Company and later at a family owned business, also serving in the United States Army during World World War World War II Until Bocek"s death on April 29, 2007, he held the distinction of being the oldest living White Sox player. He died on April 29, 2007 in Brookfield, Illinois after a brief illness.