Lou Klein, baseball player, 1943-1951

Lou Klein

Born: 10/22/1918 in New Orleans, LA, USA

Died: 6/20/1976 in Metairie, LA, USA

MLB Debut: 1943-04-21 | Final Game: 1951-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 167 lbs

Full name: Louis Frank Klein

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Biography

Lou Klein was a professional baseball player who enjoyed a career spanning from 1943 to 1951. Born in 1918, Klein established himself as a versatile position player during a time when Major League Baseball was navigating the impacts of World War II. He played in a total of 305 games, recording 269 hits, which contributed to a career batting average of .259. Klein demonstrated his power at the plate with 16 home runs and drove in 101 runs, showcasing his ability as a run producer. Klein's playing style was characterized by his keen eye for the strike zone and a balanced approach to hitting. In addition to his offensive contributions, he exhibited speed on the bases, successfully stealing 10 bases throughout his career. His tenure in the league came during an era marked by significant changes, including the integration of baseball and evolving offensive strategies. Klein's contributions to his teams left a mark, and he remains a notable figure for fans of the game looking back at the history of baseball during the mid-20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
305 1037 162 269 48 15 16 101 10 105 119 0.259 0.330 0.381 0.711 754.0

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .330 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .381 vs. league average .365 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.711 vs. league average 0.697 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
1943 STL NL 154 627 91 180 28 14 7 62 9 50 70 0.287 .255 (+12%) .324 (+5%) .346 (+18%) .671 (+12%) 1269.3
1945 STL NL 19 57 12 13 4 1 1 6 0 14 9 0.228 .260 (-13%) .328 (+18%) .354 (+9%) .683 (+13%) 170.2
1946 STL NL 23 93 12 18 3 0 1 4 1 9 7 0.194 .256 (-25%) .328 (-20%) .358 (-28%) .687 (-24%) -355.9
1949 STL NL 58 114 25 25 6 0 2 12 0 22 20 0.219 .262 (-17%) .343 (+3%) .384 (-15%) .727 (-7%) -72.8
1951 CLE AL 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1951 PHA AL 49 144 22 33 7 0 5 17 0 10 12 0.229 .260 (-12%) .336 (-17%) .385 (-1%) .721 (-8%) 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 22 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.136

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1943 WS SLN 5 22 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.136

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 202 0 460 536 26 152
3B 11 0 7 16 2 0
OF 7 0 19 1 0 1
SS 79 0 84 166 21 29

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1943 SLN 2B 126 0 301 356 18 99
1943 SLN SS 51 0 55 88 9 19
1945 SLN 2B 2 0 2 0 0 0
1945 SLN 3B 4 0 5 8 1 0
1945 SLN OF 7 0 19 1 0 1
1945 SLN SS 7 0 12 14 2 3
1946 SLN 2B 23 0 58 60 3 18
1949 SLN 2B 9 0 14 13 0 3
1949 SLN 3B 7 0 2 8 1 0
1949 SLN SS 21 0 17 64 10 7
1951 PHA 2B 42 0 85 107 5 32

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 202
Third Base 12
Shortstop 69
Left Field 4
Right Field 3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 6.0 336 0