Before the 1918 season, Boeckel lost . Pittsburgh manager Hugo Bezdek was pleased and said that Boeckel's weight had been an impediment the previous year. However, Boeckel missed the season after enlisting in the navy. Pittsburgh acquired third baseman Walter Barbare in 1919, so the team placed Boeckel on waivers early in the season. He was obtained off waivers by the Boston Braves. Between the two teams, Boeckel appeared in 140 games that season. He was one of three NL players to reach that number of games played.