Billy Klaus
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Klaus was a shortstop
and third baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves
(1952–53), Boston Red Sox
(1955–58), Baltimore Orioles
(1959–60), Washington Senators
(1961) and Philadelphia Phillies
(1962–63). He played the end of the 1963 season in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons
. Born in Fox Lake, Illinois
, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
A master defensively, Klaus had good range, a strong and secure arm, and an ability to throw across his body quickly. A modest hitter, his greatest offensive contribution came via the bunt and the hit-and-run
, but his defense was good enough by itself to keep him in the majors a while.
In his 1955 rookie season with the Red Sox, Klaus had a career-high .283 batting average
with seven home run
s and 60 RBI
(also a career-high), and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year
voting behind Herb Score
. A year later, he put almost identical numbers (.271, 7, 59), and in 1957 he belted a high-career 10 home runs.
In an 11-season career, Klaus was a .249 hitter with 40 home runs and 250 RBI in 821 games
. He had 626 hits
in 2513 at bat
s.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1952–53), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1955–58), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1959–60), Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1961) and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1962–63). He played the end of the 1963 season in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
. Born in Fox Lake, Illinois
Fox Lake, Illinois
Fox Lake is a village in Grant Township, Lake County, Illinois and Richmond Township, McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 9,178 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
A master defensively, Klaus had good range, a strong and secure arm, and an ability to throw across his body quickly. A modest hitter, his greatest offensive contribution came via the bunt and the hit-and-run
Hit and run (baseball)
A hit and run is a high risk/high reward offensive strategy used in baseball.When the offense has a baserunner on first base , the runner on first breaks for second as the pitch is thrown...
, but his defense was good enough by itself to keep him in the majors a while.
In his 1955 rookie season with the Red Sox, Klaus had a career-high .283 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with seven home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 60 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(also a career-high), and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
voting behind Herb Score
Herb Score
Herbert Jude Score was a Major League Baseball pitcher and announcer.-Athletic career:Score came up as a rookie in with the Cleveland Indians...
. A year later, he put almost identical numbers (.271, 7, 59), and in 1957 he belted a high-career 10 home runs.
In an 11-season career, Klaus was a .249 hitter with 40 home runs and 250 RBI in 821 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. He had 626 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 2513 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s.