The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 36

RMO Wednesday, March 30, 1988 THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER SportsD-5 Reds kill A chronology on Ted Kluszewski Born Sept. 10, 1924, in Argo, III. Signed by the Reds off the campus of Indiana University, where he'd been a football star. Played for Reds from 1947 through 1957. From 1958-61, played with Pittsburgh, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels.

Played in 1959 World Series with Chicago, which the White Sox lost to the Dodgers in six games. Rejoined the Reds' organization as hitting coach in 1969 through 1978. Was hitting coach for the Reds' World Champion teams of 1975 and 1976. Was minor league hitting instructor for eight years, 1979 to 1987. One of 50 members of the Reds' Hall of Fame, inducted in 1962.

team's hitting instructor. "Ted was running his restaurant in Cincinnati. We felt he was the type of hitter and had such ability as a hitter that we wanted to see if he could do as good a job as he did as a player." Big Klu did, said Howsam. "He had an outstanding way of teaching hitting patient and understanding. Yet he could be very forceful when he had to be." The news stunned members of the Reds in Plant City.

Pitching coach Scott Breeden was shocked, saying he and his wife had entertained Kluszewski and his wife just two weeks ago. "It's a shock to me. I knew he was not in good health. I'm stunned." "I'm very emotional right now. I'm very sad.

It's tough. I'm so hurt. The entire baseball world is. it's very sad and we want Eleanor (Kluszewski's wife) to know all our thoughts are with her." es, Willie Mays and Stan Mii-ial. "I think '54 had more of the great names than any other time I remember," Klu recalled earlier this year.

"It really was the golden age of baseball." When Bob Howsam joined the Reds in 1967, one of his first moves after hiring manager Sparky Anderson was to hire Big Klu as the CONTINUED FROM PAGE D-l Cook indicated that should Bell open the season on the DL, the Reds would not go into the season short one player. If that should occur, then in all likelihood Lloyd McClendon will open the season in Cincinnati. And, if that should happen, Chris Sabo will be the starting third baseman on Opening Day. Meanwhile, the Reds are keeping a close eye on right-handed reliever Frank Williams, who has been troubled most of the spring with bursitis and tendinitis in his right shoulder. Cook said Williams threw one inning in minor league camp Tuesday and "looked good." Cook, however, said Williams' status is similar to that of Bell's, though the Reds have not indicated that Williams will remain behind in Plant City on Thursday.

The release of Hoffman, a starter through most of last season, wasn't totally unexpected in light of his most recent two outings. Even he felt as if he were in dire straits following Monday's performance against Minnesota in which he allowed three runs on four hits in two innings, including a three-run homer to Kirby Puckett. That effort came on the heels of another shaky outing last Saturday against Pittsburgh in which he gave up two runs on three hits in one inning. Over 14 innings in five official appearances, Hoffman allowed 20 hits three home runs, 11 runs '(all earned) for a monstrous 7.07 ERA. "It doesn't take a genius to put two-and-two together," Hoffman said following Monday's effort.

"I'm not helping myself at all." Cook said of Hoffman Tuesday, "There was no room at the inn. "With (Mario) Soto's re-emergence and the others pitching well we may wish we had him back in a month, but the Triple-A staff is a pretty good staff and if there's a breakdown, we'll hope one of those comes forth," Cook said. If Hoffman isn't claimed by another team within the next 72 hours, the Reds have the option of He says, 'If he'd have hit me, I'd be In 1954, Klu had his season. He led the Nation; with 49 home runs and greatest League 41 RBI, was fifth in hitting (.326) and third in total bases for a fifth-place team. Among the other "greats" in their prime that year were Duke Snider, Eddie Mathews, Gil Hodg Start paging WIDE AREA SIGNAL RANGE RENT OR BUY LOW MONTHLY RATES FREE CONSULTATION DEMONSTRATION 1 WW MkW 1 1 III I If today! QUANTITY DISCOUNTS VARIETY OF SERVICES SIMPLE TO USE PROMPT FIELD SERVICE 563-46S6 3655 Hauck Rd.

Providing the most sophisticated advanced system in the area Guy Hoffman 7.07 ERA in spring training re-signing him to a minor league contract if Hoffman so chooses. Cook, however, didn't think at this point, the Reds would exercise that option. "We did not talk to him about that as we did with (Angel) Sala-zar," said Cook. The Reds waived Salazar on Monday. "I'm sure there's a club that will have a need for him (Hoffman)." Hoffman, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow on Oct.

6, was 9-10 last season with the Reds and had a 4.37 ERA. He started 22 of his 36 games, and the Reds scored two runs or less in eight of his 10 losses. Cook implied there had been no trade talks involving Hoffman. "When you start shopping guys like him at the end of spring training, they (other clubs) wait for him to be released and sign them for lower figures," Cook said. It was learned after the game the White Sox may pursue Hoffman, a source in the Chicago front office indicated to Chicago reporters.

With Hoffman's release, only two pitchers are left to vie for the final opening on the staff left-hander Pat Perry, who seems to have the edge, and right-hander Bill Landrum. Both, however, could make the staff if Williams should open the year on the disabled list. hitewalls CONTINUED FROM PAGE D-l them off. They got pretty upset, but it was either that or change my swing. And I wasn't going to change my swing." For good reason: The swing produced 279 home runs, 251 of them for the Reds between his rookie season in 1947 and his last in 1957.

"He was a fine hitter along with being a slugger," recalled Bucky Walters, the former Reds pitching star who later managed Kluszews-ki. "He wasn't bad with the glove, either. He was no Charlie Grimm or Bill Terry, but he could handle the glove." Recalled Johnny Vander Meer, who played with Kluszewski from 1947 to 1949: "Off the field, there was nothing about him expressive of strength. If you sat around and talked to him, he was just another, average guy." Walters recalled how the Reds "discovered" Big Klu. "We were training over in Bloomington (Ind.) during the war (World War II) and the son of our groundskeeper, Matty Schwab, saw Ted.

Ted was a football player at Indiana University and was playing baseball as a sidelight. But he was hitting the ball a mile." Kluszewski, a line-drive hitter, hit .298 lifetime. "He'd hit home runs with one hand," recalled Murdough. "He was so strong, he'd get fooled on a pitch and hit it out with one hand." Pitchers tried a number of ways to get him out, but there was one unwritten rule for self-preservation. "Pitchers used to say, 'Don't pitch him outside and low, because it'll come right back through the Murdough said.

In the mid '50s, when baseball began insisting that batters wear some kind of head protection, Kluszewski went for the minimum, a little pad in his hat. "I only saw him mad once," Murdough said. "Ernie Johnson (of the Braves) threw one that he said slipped and it went behind Klu. Klu almost fell back into it. "The next pitch Klu hit it to the first baseman and Johnson had to cover.

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