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Card #150 - Bill Klaus - Infield: Boston Red Sox

The first card I'm going to write about is one of the most recent that I have come across. I have never heard of Bill Klaus before I came across this card. Before I get to his career, let's take a look at the card itself.





First of all, yes, this is the condition a large number of the cards I've come across for this set are in. At some point in the future, I might care more about the condition, but right now, I kind of like the roughness. It let's me know that people handled, traded, and played with these cards. Many of the cards from this set I've come across have has names written on them. A lot of them have creases running right down the middle. You know, where the rubber bands that held them together lived. Maybe this is my little form of protest against the world of grading cards and slabbing them in plastic, never to be held again.

Bill Klaus' professional career started in 1946 at the age of 17 when he was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent..After having a decent season for the Appleton Papermakers (Minor League team names are the best), his contract was voided by the Indians, and the Chicago Cubs signed him in 1947. 

He had three very good seasons in the Cubs farm system, but in December 1949... and I've never heard of this before, he was drafted by the Dallas Eagles, a non-affiliated AA team in a Minor League draft.

Late in 1950, his contract was purchased by the Boston Braves. It is with a Braves minor league team when his favorite moment listed on the back of the card took place.



In 1951, with the Milwaukee Brewers, then the AA farm team for the Boston Braves (and in no way related to the Brewers of today), the Brewers won the Little World Series against the Montreal Royals. Unfortunately, I could find very little about what the Little World Series actually entailed, but this was the third time the Brewers had won it. It took me reading the card three times before I realized they weren't talking about the Little League World Series.

Klaus had his first tastes of the major leagues with Boston in 1952 and with Milwaukee in 1953 after Boston moved there in the off-season, but in just 9 games, he didn't get any hits and found himself back in the minors.

Then in 1954, Klaus was part of a rather historic trade. He, Johnny Antonelli, Don Liddle, Ebba St. Clare, and $50,000 were sent to the New York Giants for Sam Calderone and Bobby "Shot Heard 'Round the World" Thompson. Antonelli was a star pitcher for the Giants and led them to a World Series win in 1954. Meanwhile, Thompson broke his ankle and only played in 43 games. Klaus remained in the minors the entire season.

Oh, by the way... the catch by Willie Mays in 1954 he's talking about? It wasn't just a catch. It was THE CATCH.


December 1954, Klaus was traded to the Red Sox for Del Wilber, and in 1955 he made the majors. His 1955 season was an extremely good one. He hit .283 with 6 home runs and 60 RBI. He finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and 13th in MVP voting.

Unfortunately for Klaus, he wasn't able to maintain that level for long. He had a slightly worse season in 1956. He had a career high 10 home runs in 1957, but his other stats were dropping. By 1958 he had lost his starting position as a shortstop and only played in 61 games that season. 

Klaus was traded to Baltimore after the 1958 season. He was then selected by the Washington Senators in the expansion draft of 1960. In 1962 his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was then released at the end of the 62 season. He signed back with them before the 1963 season, but they released him in May of 1963 and he never played in the majors again.

His career batting average was .249. He hit 40 home runs and had 250 RBI in 821 games over 11 seasons. 

After his playing career ended, he became a minor league manager for a while before leaving baseball entirely and becoming a painter. Billy Klaus passed away in 2006 just 6 days shy of his 78th birthday in Sarasota, Florida.


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