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Theodore Bernard (Ted) Kluszewski ( September 10 , 1924 - March 29 , 1988 ), nicknamed "Big Klu", was a slugging First Baseman who played in Major League Baseball between 1947 and 1961. Kluszewski was born in Argo, Illinois . He batted and threw left-handed. CAREER Kluszewski spent his first 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (1947-57). He was discovered at Indiana University , where he played Football as well as baseball. Cincinnati held Spring Training at the university from 1943 to 1945. Kluszewski drew the attention of team Scouts when he hit a line drive that broke a wooden outfield fence. He was signed in 1946, and after Batting .325 and .377 in the Minors , he was the starting first base for Cincinnati at the end of 1948. Widely recognized for his huge biceps and big forearms, the 6-foot, 2-inch, 240-pounder Kluszewski was one of the most feared major league hitters in his prime, despite the fact that he was often injured and only had four complete seasons in a 15-year playing career. Selected an All-Star in four seasons, Kluszewski was a career .298 hitter with 279 Home Run s and 1028 RBI in 1718 games. There is no question he was an intimidating presence in the batter's box. In 10 of his 15 seasons he Walk ed more often than he Struck Out , compiling a respectable 1.348 Walk-to-strikeout Ratio (492-to-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 ( Barry Bonds missed duplicating this feat by one strikeout in 2004 ). Kluszewski enjoyed his most productive years from 1953 through 1956, with home run totals of 40, 49, 47 and 35 while collected 100-plus RBI in each of those years, including a league-leading 141 in 1954. He also hit . 300 or more eight times. A fine fielder, he led the National League first basemen in Fielding Percentage five straight years, a major league record. Kluszewski spent his last four seasons switching teams. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before 1958, and in August 1959 he was sent to the Chicago White Sox , providing punch in the American League stretch. Finally, Chicago faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1959 World Series . The White Sox expected to run on the Dodgers in the Series, but Catcher Johnny Roseboro 's arm put an end to Manager Al Lopez ' ideas conceived around speedy Luis Aparicio . In Game One at Comiskey Park , Kluszewski hit two home runs with five RBI to led Chicago to an 11-0 victory, but the Dodgers took four of the next five games behind a strong pitching performance which silenced the White Sox batters except for Kluszewski, who led Series hitters in home runs (3) and RBI (10), and tied with Gil Hodges in batting average (.391). Kluszewski was selected by the Los Angeles Angels during the 1960 expansion draft. On April 11, 1961 , he belted two home runs that highlighted the first victory for the Angels in the American League. Basically used as a Pinch Hitter , he hit .243 with 15 home runs and 39 RBI in 107 games, retiring at the end of the season. After that, he returned to Cincinnati as a Hitting Coach from 1970 to 1978 on the Big Red Machine teams under manager Sparky Anderson . In 1979 he became the Reds' minor league hitting instructor, and resigned in 1986, after he suffered a heart attack that required bypass surgery. Ted Kluszewski died in Cincinnati, Ohio at 63 years of age. His #18 was retired by the Reds. HIGHLIGHTS
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