Ted Kluszewski
Theodore Bernard Kluszewski (September 10, 1924 – March 29, 1988), also known as "Big Klu", was an American professional baseball player known for his bulging biceps and mammoth home runs in the 1950s decade. He played from 1947 through 1961 with four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent 11 of his 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a first baseman.
| 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 |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
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 (RBIs) 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. 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 the World Series, Kluszewski hit .391 with three home runs and drove in 10 runs, which remain a record for a six-game series.
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.