Ted Kluszewski Quizzie Can
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I picked up this can, one of my Top 10 most Wanted, at the Richbrau Chapter's Charlottesville Show in July. I discussed the quizzie cans on another page, but this one is special because the lead fact on it is "Ted Kluszewski: baseball's strongest man." I'm a life-long Cincinnati Reds fan, and Big Klu was one of Cincinnati's all-time greats.
Ted Kluszewski (1924-1988) was the Cincinnati Reds All-Star first basemen from 1947-1957. Klu was not only a power hitter, he also hit for average and was a good fielder, leading first basemen in fielding percentage from 1951 through 1955. Kluszewski was selected as an All-Star in four seasons (19653-1956), and was a career .298 hitter with 279 home runs and 1028 RBI in 1718 games. In ten of his fifteen seasons, Kluszewski walked (492) more often than he struck out (365). In 1955, he hit 47 homers while striking out only 40 times. No player since him has hit 40 homers and struck out 40 or fewer times in the same season
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| 1956 Kluszewski Topps card. The player gretting him at home plate is probably Stan Palys, who was a part-time outfielder for the Phillies and Reds from 1953-1956. (Click on the card to see the back). | Kluszewski on the cover of a 1956 book on baseball for Little Leaguers. |
How hard is hitting? You ever walk into a pitch-black room full of furniture that you've never been in before and try to walk though it without bumping into anything? Well, it's harder than that.
- Ted Kluszewski
Kluszewski in the Reds' Record Book
Kluzewski is still among the team leaders in many categories for the Reds in their long history. I picked a few key stats and included where he ranked among the all-time team leaders when he was traded and where he ranks now.
Catagory |
Number |
Rank When Traded |
Rank in 2012 |
Games |
1339 |
3 |
12 |
Average |
.302 |
11 |
18 |
Hits |
1339 |
3 |
10 |
Home Runs |
251 |
1 |
5 |
Runs |
745 |
4 |
12 |
Slugging |
.512 |
1 |
6 |
There is a statue of Big Klu outside of Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
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For more on one of Klu's teammates see my June 2017 COM on Wally Post.
