On this date (April 11) in 1961, the expansion Los Angeles Angels played their first official American League game and one of my boyhood heroes – Ted Kluszewski – started them off with a “bang” and a victory. As this boyhood hero of BBRT had done for much of his career, Big Klu made powerful contact with the baseball.
In the top of the first inning, Big Klu – batting clean-up – came to the plate with two outs and little Albie Pearson on first (after a walk). Kluszewski was 6’ 2” and pushing 240 pounds, while his roommate Albie Pearson was 5’5”, 140 pounds. Kluszewski, facing Orioles’ right-hander Milt Pappas (a 15-game winner the previous season), collected the Angels’ first-ever hit, first-ever home run and first-ever RBI – blasting a home run to deep right field. The very next inning, the 36-year-old Kluszewski (starting his final big league season) came up against Orioles’ rookie reliever John Papa with Angels’ right-fielder Pearson and second baseman Ken Aspromonte on base. Big Klu hit his second home run of the day – bringing his RBI total to five, as the Angels won their premier game by a 7-2 score.
To no one’s surprise, Kluszewski put the ball in play in every at bat that day. The big slugger was known for both his power and his bat control. In fact, no one in MLB logged has more seasons of 40 or more home runs, coupled with fewer strikeouts than round trippers.
Ted “Big Klu” Kluszewski (below) cut the sleeves from his jersey to enable a freer swing of his powerful arms – and, just perhaps, to intimidate opposing hurlers.
Kluszewski’s was one of my favorite players long before that Opening Day performance, thanks to the fact that he was Polish, powerful and patient. In fact, from 1953 to 1956, he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball. During that span, Kluszewski was an All Star every year. Over those four-seasons, he hit .315, with 171 home runs, 464 RBI – and only 140 strikeouts (versus 248 walks). How impressive is that? Only ten times in MLB history has a player hit 40 or more homers, while striking out fewer times than he hit round trippers. Three of those seasons (more than any other player) belong to Kluszewski – and they came in succession (1953, 1954, 1955). The string was broken in 1956, when Big Klu hit only 35 home runs, but he also struck out only 31 times (against 49 walks). Kluszewski, by the way, was also agile in the field for a big man – leading NL first baseman in fielding percentage every year from 1951 through 1955.
A few side notes:
- Of the six players who have accomplished a season of 40 or more home runs with fewer strikeouts than round trippers, Kluszewski is the only one who wasn’t a Yankee or a Giant.
- Only once has a player hit fifty or more homers and struck out less than 50 times – Johnny Mize in 1947.
- The fewest strikeouts ever by a league home run leader is nine – by the Boston Braves’ Tommy Holmes, when he led the NL with 28 home runs in 1945.
Here’s the list of MLB seasons of at least 40 homers and fewer strikeouts than round trippers, with home runs, strikeouts, walks and batting averages for each season. Hall of Famers are in red, league leadership in blue.
1929 … Mel Ott (NY Giants), 42 HR, 38 K, 113 BB, .328
1934 … Lou Gehrig (Yankees), 49 HR, 31 K, 109 BB, .363
1936 … Lou Gehrig (Yankees), 49 HR, 46 K, 130 BB, .354
1937 … Joe DiMaggio (Yankees), 46 HR, 37 K, 64 BB, .346
1947 … Johnny Mize (NY Giants), 51 HR, 42 K, 74 BB, .302
1948 … Johnny Mize (NY Giants), 40 HR, 37 K, 94 BB, .289
1953 … Ted Kluszewski (Reds), 40 HR, 34 K, 55 BB, .316
1954 … Ted Kluszewski (Reds), 49 HR, 35 K, 78 BB, .326
1955 … Ted Kluszewski (Reds), 47 HR, 40 K, 66 BB, .314
2004 … Barry Bonds (SF Giants), 45 HR, 41 K, 232 BB, .362
A final thought on Ted Kluszewski, he carried his combination of power and patience (and fielding consistency) to the post season. Late in the 1959, Kluszewski – then with the Pirates – was traded to the Chicago White Sox, who were looking for some additional power as they worked to clinch the AL pennant. The White Sox made it to the World Series and, despite the Sox loss to the Dodgers (in six games), Kluszewski (in his only post season) led all hitters in home runs (three), RBI (ten), and batting average (.391, tied with the Dodgers’ Gil Hodges) – without a single strikeout. He also led all fielders in chances (62) and put outs (59) – without an error.
A 1956 back injury took its toll on Kluszewski, robbing him of much of his power and shortening his career (he averaged only 90 games a year and hit a total of only 34 home runs over his last five seasons). In his final season, with the 1961 expansion Angels, Kluszewski hit .243, with 15 home runs and 39 RBI in 107 games. He retired with a .298 career average, 279 home runs, 1,028 RBI – and just 365 strikeouts in 6,469 at bats (492 walks).
