ARLINGTON -- Bob Beaton, who served as the beloved press box attendant at Arlington Stadium and the Ballpark in Arlington, passed away on Dec. 24. He was 86.
Beaton was a retired accountant and originally from New Jersey when he took over running the press box in 1988. He retired after the 2014 season, and he was honored with the dedication of a plaque in the press dining room on May 15, 2015.
Beaton was well known to both the local and national media. He knew everybody by name, greeted them with a smile and was unswerving in his dedication to helping any way he could.
"Bob did whatever he could to make our jobs easier, and he was happy to do it," said Jeff Wilson, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's lead Rangers writer. "He also read all our stories, got to know about our families, and would give us good-natured ribbing. He was a good man with a good heart. He has been missed since stepping aside, and he will be missed going forward."
Beaton maintained seating assignments, kept peace and order in the press box, passed out statistics, lineups and game notes, and he fulfilled personal requests, including providing antacid tablets to one baseball writer with a particularly cranky digestive system.

"He was such a lovely gentleman, always helpful and kind -- especially to visitors and [those] among us who are always losing things," said Susan Slusser, long-time baseball writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. "He'd turn the press box upside down trying to help find missing notebooks or phones. He didn't tolerate any misbehavior and kept a professional, courteous press box at all times and always seemed to be there. A great work ethic. He will be missed."
Beaton treated everybody fairly and willingly, whether they were a long-time newspaper writers or electronic media on their first baseball assignment. He had no distinction among those who needed his help, but knew everybody by name and affiliation.
"Baseball may be impossible to predict, but you knew exactly what you were going to get from Bob every night at the park," said Anthony Andro, longtime Texas baseball writer. "He was there to take care of the guys in the pressbox, and he did a great job. It made working a lot easier knowing that Bob was there, and he had your back."
Services will be held at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20. Attendees can check in at the Visitors Center for the location of the services. Reception will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. at The Waterford at Pantego, 2650 West Park Row Drive, Arlington, Texas, 76013.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: Alzheimer's Association, Fort Worth North Central Texas, 2630 West Freeway, Suite 100, Fort Worth, Texas, 76102.