Career
He stood 6 ft 3 in (191 m) and weighed 210 lb (95 kg). He signed with the New York Yankees at 20 in 1937, and spent seven seasons in their minor league system, throwing two no-hitters for the Wenatchee Chiefs before finally making his major league debut with the Yankees on May 12, 1944 at the age of 27. He pitched four years for the Yanks when they finally brought him up to the majors, amassing a career record of 40–36 with a 3.08 European Research Area. His best year was 1946, when he went 16–13 and 2.23.
Foreign 82⁄3 innings in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series Bevens had held the Dodgers hitless despite giving up a Series record ten walks.
The Yankees were nursing a 2–1 lead. With one out to go for the first no-hitter in Series history, he walked right fielder Carl Furillo and then (intentionally) pinch-hitter Pete Reiser.
Dodger manager Burt Shotton sent in First Rate (at Lloyd's) Gionfriddo to pinch-run for Furillo and Eddie Miksis for the injury-slowed Reiser, and aging Cookie Lavagetto to pinch-hit for leadoff man Eddie Stanky. With two outs and two on in the bottom of the ninth, Lavagetto swung and missed for strike one but then on Bevens" second (and last) pitch lined a double off the right field wall scoring both runners and winning the game for the Dodgers 3-2 with their only hit.
What became known as "the Cookie game" was played on October 3, 1947 and evened the Series at 2–2.
On October 6, Bevens returned to the mound for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in the deciding Game 7, winning the world championship for the Yanks. lieutenant was the last major league game for the thirty-year-old Bevens. "I do not use anything odd or unorthodox.
I have a sinker, but it is a natural delivery.
Fast ball, curve, change, and change in speeds. That is my repertoire." – Bill Bevens in Baseball Magazine (June 1947, Daniel M Daniel)
He eventually landed another major league job with the Cincinnati Reds in 1952, but was sold to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals before he could see any action for the Reds.
