Billy Klaus

Born: 12/9/1928 in Spring Grove, IL, USA

Died: 12/3/2006 in Sarasota, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1952-04-16 | Final Game: 1963-05-17

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: William Joseph Klaus

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Billy Klaus was a professional baseball player born in 1928, who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 until his retirement on May 17, 1963. A versatile position player, Klaus made a significant impact during his career, appearing in a total of 821 games. He recorded 626 hits, including 40 home runs, and drove in 250 runs, all while maintaining a batting average of .249. Known for his speed on the bases, he also successfully stole 14 bases throughout his time in the league. Klaus's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the transition from the tail end of the deadball era into a time of increasing offensive output. Throughout his tenure, he played for several teams, demonstrating adaptability and resilience. His contributions on the field were marked by a strong work ethic and a competitive spirit, attributes that endeared him to fans and teammates alike. As a player who navigated the challenges of the early 1960s, Klaus remains a notable figure for his era and continues to be remembered for his contributions to the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
821	2513	357	626	106	15	40	250	14	331	285	0.249	0.335	0.351	0.686	-1332.3

Career AVG .249 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .335 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.686 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1952	BSN	NL	7	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	ATL	NL	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1955	BOS	AL	135	541	83	153	26	2	7	60	6	60	44	0.283	.258 (+9%)	.332 (+6%)	.393 (-4%)	.726 (avg)	115.6
1956	BOS	AL	135	520	91	141	29	5	7	59	1	90	43	0.271	.258 (+5%)	.331 (+14%)	.397 (-3%)	.728 (+5%)	806.2
1957	BOS	AL	127	477	76	120	18	4	10	42	2	55	53	0.252	.257 (-2%)	.323 (+1%)	.391 (-6%)	.715 (-3%)	-209.3
1958	BOS	AL	61	88	5	14	4	0	1	7	0	5	16	0.159	.257 (-38%)	.324 (-37%)	.394 (-39%)	.719 (-38%)	-610.2
1959	BAL	AL	104	321	33	80	11	0	3	25	2	51	38	0.249	.256 (-3%)	.323 (+8%)	.392 (-21%)	.715 (-8%)	-260.2
1960	BAL	AL	46	43	8	9	2	0	1	6	0	9	9	0.209	—	—	—	—	-10.8
1961	WS2	AL	91	251	26	57	8	2	7	30	2	30	34	0.227	.258 (-12%)	.328 (-5%)	.399 (-10%)	.727 (-8%)	-365.2
1962	PHI	NL	102	248	30	51	8	2	4	20	1	29	43	0.206	.257 (-20%)	.326 (-11%)	.393 (-23%)	.719 (-18%)	-798.5
1963	PHI	NL	11	18	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0.056	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	43	10	40	51	2	16
3B	272	244	253	536	38	33
OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
SS	425	340	606	1169	83	203

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1952	BSN	SS	4	0	1	0	1	0
1955	BOS	3B	8	8	7	20	3	0
1955	BOS	SS	126	121	207	391	28	55
1956	BOS	3B	106	105	120	242	21	18
1956	BOS	SS	26	25	35	64	6	8
1957	BOS	SS	118	116	204	417	25	93
1958	BOS	SS	27	8	18	35	7	2
1959	BAL	2B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1959	BAL	3B	49	45	43	84	6	7
1959	BAL	SS	59	41	77	147	7	21
1960	BAL	2B	30	3	19	29	2	9
1960	BAL	3B	2	2	0	6	0	0
1960	BAL	SS	12	5	10	17	0	5
1961	WS2	2B	1	0	0	1	0	1
1961	WS2	3B	51	43	40	107	6	3
1961	WS2	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1961	WS2	SS	18	16	24	47	2	8
1962	PHI	2B	11	7	21	21	0	6
1962	PHI	3B	53	39	43	72	2	4
1962	PHI	SS	30	8	29	49	7	11
1963	PHI	3B	3	2	0	5	0	1
1963	PHI	SS	5	0	1	2	0	0