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 Power surge
The '50s was the decade of power and the numbers put up by the untainted athletes were impressive.
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INSIDE:

CLUBHOUSE
CRONICLES
Jimmy Palermo, during a historic 7-day span in May, 1939, saw the meteoric rise of Williams and tragic decline of Gehrig.

THE GAME'S
GOLDEN ERA
An exclusive WIWAG ongoing feature.

MEMORIES
 The field seemed vast to a 7-year old who had looked forward to this day for two months.

BREAKING THE COLOR LINE
The year marks the 60th anniversary of the first major league tryout for black players.
SPECIAL COLOR
LINE TIMELINE
Bud Fowler is the first know black players on an integrated team.

BOOMING BATS
of the '50s
Qualify as Grade A10.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL
SPORTS BAR
 First sports bar featured 12-inch Farnsworth TV.

BASEBALL
HISTORIANS
Two unsuspecting vintage baseball fans rediscover a "National Treasure." 		>> Home page                                                                         >> Contact us

BIG KLU'S choice of lumber was a Louisville Slugger (model U1) with a signature barrel stamp.

TED KLUSZEWSKI wielded this bat as a member of the Reds during the August 1954 series when Cincinnati played the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

IN 1954,"Big Klu" was the National League all-star first baseman, lead the league with 49 home runs and 141 RBIs and ran a close second to Willie Mays on the MVP ballot.

TED KLUSZEWSKI

ALL-STAR: 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956

Big Klu swung one of most prolific 'Booming Bats' of the ‘50s

Starting in 1951, he topped National League first basemen in fielding five straight years — a Major League record.

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR

THE SLEEVELESS Cincinnati Reds uniforms of the 1950s were made to allow "Big Klu’s" bulging muscles room to move.
TED KLUSEWSKI WEB LINKS
>BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM
>BASEBALL-LIBRARY.COM
>BASEBALL-ALMANAC.COM

Ted Kluszewski began his Major League career on April 18, 1947 with the Cincinnati Reds. Kluszewski played for 15 seasons for the Reds, Pirates, White Sox and Angels — and ended his big league playing career in 1961.

Kluszewski swung one of most prolific Booming Bats of the ‘50s. The former University of Indiana football star hit with marked consistency and awesome power and fielded his position smoothly.

He led the National League with 49 homers and 141 RBI in 1954 and averaged 43 home runs and 116 RBIs from 1953 to 1956. He also hit .300 seven times.

At Indiana University, the 6’-2", 225-pound Kluszewski concentrated on football, where he achieved Big Ten honors as an end. But he turned his attention to baseball in 1946 when he signed with Cincinnati. Two years later, he began a 14-year major league career at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels.

In 1955 he lead in hits (192) and set a modern National League record by scoring runs in 17 straight games. Starting in 1951, he topped National League first basemen in fielding five straight years — a Major League record.

IN 1955 KLUSZEWSKI lead in hits (192) and set a modern National League record by scoring runs in 17 straight games.

Injuries eventually cut into his skills, and he spent his last five seasons pinch-hitting nearly as often as he started. Traded to the White Sox in 1959, he helped the team to the World Series, where he established a Series record for a six-game set of 10 runs-batted-in (he hit three homers and batted .391).

"Big Klu" played 15 seasons, 1947-57 with the Reds and finished his career with the Pirates, White Sox and Angels — registering a .298 lifetime average, with 1,766 hits, 279 HRs and 1,028 RBIs. He was a National League all-star first baseman four times, 1953-56.

TED KLUSZEWSKI: Did you know...

...Kluszewski was voted first baseman on the "Greatest Reds Team Ever" by sports fans in Cincinnati.

...The sleeveless Cincinnati Reds uniforms of the 1950s were made to allow "Big Klu’s" bulging muscles room to move.

...Kluszewski was a National League all-star in 1953, 54, 55 and 56.

...Kluszewski was led National League in home runs and RBI in 1954.

...Kluszewski was signed by the Cincinnati Reds before the 1946 season as an amateur free agent.

 

...Kluszewski was traded by the Cincinnati Redlegs in Dec. 1957 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Dee Fondy.

...Kluszewski was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates in Aug. 1959 to the Chicago White Sox for Harry Simpson and Bob Sagers (minors).

...Kluszewski was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in Dec.1960 from the Chicago White Sox in the 1960 expansion draft.

...Kluszewski was released by the Los Angeles Angels in Oct. 1961

...Kluszewski was born September 10, 1924 in Argo, Ilinois. He died March 29, 1988 in Cincinnati, Ohio at age 64.

"Big Klu" played 15 seasons, 1947-57 with the Reds and finished his career with the Pirates, White Sox and Angels — registering a .298 lifetime average, with 1,766 hits, 279 HRs and 1,028 RBIs.

IN 1955, BIG KLU lead the National League in hits (192) and set a modern league record by scoring runs in 17 straight games.


TED KLUSZEWSKI, along with Gus Bell, Ray Jablonski, Frank Robinson and Wally Post, was a member of the notorious and powerful "Cincinnati Gang." The Gang, in 1956, tagged National League pitching for 221 HRs, tying the existing team record held by the 1947 Giants.