| Ted Kluszewski | |
|---|---|
 Kluszewski in 1954 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: September 10, 1924 Argo, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: March 29, 1988 (aged 63) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1947, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1961, for the Los Angeles Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .298 |
| Home runs | 279 |
| Runs batted in | 1,028 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Theodore Bernard Kluszewski (September 10, 1924 – March 29, 1988), nicknamed "Big Klu", was an American professional baseball player, best known as a power-hitting first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds teams of the 1950s. He played from 1947 through 1961 with four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), spending 11 of those 15 seasons with the Reds, and became famous for his bulging biceps and mammoth home runs.[1]
Kluszewski was a four-time National League (NL) All-Star who hit at least .300 seven times, and 40 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons. He retired with a .298 lifetime batting average, 279 home runs, and 1,028 runs batted in (RBI) in 1,718 games.
On August 25, 1959, the Chicago White Sox acquired Kluszewski from the Pittsburgh Pirates in return for pitcher Robert Sagers and outfielder Harry Simpson.[2] The veteran hit .297 in 31 games and helped the "Go-Go White Sox" clinch the American League pennant. In six games versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in that year's World Series, Kluszewski hit .391 with three home runs and drove in 10 runs, which remains a record for a six-game series.[3]
Kluszewski ranks among the all-time Reds leaders in home runs (sixth), slugging percentage (sixth), on-base plus slugging percentage (eighth), and RBIs (ninth). His .642 slugging percentage, 1.049 OPS, and home run rate of one per 11.4 at-bats in the 1954 season have been team records for seven decades. In 1962, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
- ^ "Ex-Reds slugger remembered". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 3, 1988. p. 2B.
- ^ "Ted Kluszewski Stats".
- ^ "1959 World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox (4-2)".