Ted Kluszewski, baseball player, 279 home runs, 1947-1961

Ted Kluszewski

Born: 9/10/1924 in Argo, IL, USA

Died: 3/29/1988 in Cincinnati, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-04-18 | Final Game: 1961-10-01

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Theodore Bernard Kluszewski

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Biography

Ted Kluszewski, born in 1924, was a prominent first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 until 1961. Known for his powerful left-handed swing and exceptional strength, Kluszewski quickly made a name for himself in the post-World War II era, a time when baseball was experiencing significant growth and transformation. Over his career, he appeared in 1,718 games, accumulating 1,766 hits and 279 home runs, while driving in 1,028 runs. His impressive career batting average of .298 underscored his status as one of the most consistent hitters of his time. Kluszewski was selected as an All-Star four times, highlighting his impact on the game during his playing years. He was particularly noted for his muscular physique, which earned him the nickname "Big Klu," and his ability to hit for both average and power made him a key player for the Cincinnati Reds and later the Chicago White Sox. After his retirement, Kluszewski's contributions to the game were recognized with his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009, solidifying his legacy as one of the standout players of his generation.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1718 5929 848 1766 290 29 279 1028 20 492 365 0.298 0.353 0.498 0.850 19666.5

Career AVG .298 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +14.7% above league average.

Career OBP .353 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.

Career SLG .498 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — +27.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.850 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — +17.8% above 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
1947 CIN NL 9 10 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 0.100 — — — — 0.0
1948 CIN NL 113 379 49 104 23 4 12 57 1 18 32 0.274 .263 (+4%) .340 (-10%) .379 (+19%) .719 (+5%) 178.5
1949 CIN NL 136 531 63 164 26 2 8 68 3 19 24 0.309 .262 (+18%) .343 (-3%) .384 (+7%) .727 (+2%) 28.0
1950 CIN NL 134 538 76 165 37 0 25 111 3 33 28 0.307 .265 (+15%) .346 (+1%) .401 (+28%) .747 (+15%) 1474.3
1951 CIN NL 154 607 74 157 35 2 13 77 6 35 33 0.259 .260 (-1%) .336 (-10%) .385 (avg) .721 (-5%) -794.3
1952 CIN NL 135 497 62 159 24 11 16 86 3 47 28 0.320 .252 (+27%) .326 (+17%) .369 (+38%) .696 (+28%) 2615.3
1953 CIN NL 149 570 97 180 25 0 40 108 2 55 34 0.316 .264 (+20%) .335 (+13%) .397 (+44%) .733 (+30%) 3431.5
1954 CIN NL 149 573 104 187 28 3 49 141 0 78 35 0.326 .261 (+25%) .333 (+22%) .390 (+65%) .723 (+45%) 5294.1
1955 CIN NL 153 612 116 192 25 0 47 113 1 66 40 0.314 .258 (+21%) .332 (+15%) .393 (+48%) .726 (+33%) 4149.2
1956 CIN NL 138 517 91 156 14 1 35 102 1 49 31 0.302 .258 (+17%) .331 (+9%) .397 (+35%) .728 (+23%) 2372.0
1957 CIN NL 69 127 12 34 7 0 6 21 0 5 5 0.268 .257 (+4%) .323 (-7%) .391 (+19%) .715 (+7%) 119.0
1958 PIT NL 100 301 29 88 13 4 4 37 0 26 16 0.292 .257 (+13%) .324 (+7%) .394 (+2%) .719 (+4%) 255.1
1959 PIT NL 60 122 11 32 10 1 2 17 0 5 14 0.262 .256 (+2%) .323 (-10%) .392 (+5%) .715 (-2%) -89.5
1959 CHW AL 31 101 11 30 2 1 2 10 0 9 10 0.297 .256 (+16%) .323 (+8%) .392 (+1%) .715 (+4%) -89.5
1960 CHW AL 81 181 20 53 9 0 5 39 0 22 10 0.293 .255 (+15%) .323 (+12%) .387 (+10%) .711 (+11%) 387.6
1961 LAA AL 107 263 32 64 12 0 15 39 0 24 23 0.243 .258 (-6%) .328 (-8%) .399 (+15%) .727 (+5%) 163.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 23 5 9 1 0 3 10 2 0 0.391

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1959 WS CHA 6 23 5 9 1 0 3 10 2 0 0.391

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1481 668 12652 799 97 1269

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 CIN 1B 2 0 10 0 0 1
1948 CIN 1B 98 0 833 65 9 60
1949 CIN 1B 134 0 1140 65 14 109
1950 CIN 1B 131 0 1123 61 15 101
1951 CIN 1B 154 0 1381 88 5 115
1952 CIN 1B 133 0 1121 66 8 116
1953 CIN 1B 147 0 1285 58 7 149
1954 CIN 1B 149 149 1237 101 5 166
1955 CIN 1B 153 153 1388 86 8 153
1956 CIN 1B 131 130 1166 89 13 110
1957 CIN 1B 23 19 161 15 2 11
1958 PIT 1B 72 72 591 36 4 62
1959 PIT 1B 20 20 151 12 0 14
1959 CHA 1B 29 29 220 10 0 13
1960 CHA 1B 39 37 325 19 1 38
1961 LAA 1B 66 59 520 28 6 51

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1479

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1956 TSN All-Star 1B
1955 TSN All-Star 1B
1954 TSN All-Star 1B

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington IN 1944, 1945

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1956 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 18.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 111.0 336 0
1954 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 217.0 336 7
1953 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 69.0 336 0
1952 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 16.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 14.0 336 0