Major League Baseball Player. He was mostly a backup catcher in the big leagues, but he spent 42 years in pro baseball. He was the New York Yankees scout who convinced Oakland Athletics ace Catfish Hunter to sign as a free agent with the Yankees on New Year's Eve 1974 for an estimated $2.85 million. He played for the Boston Braves (1942-45), New York Giants (1945-46), St. Louis Cardinals (1946), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947-48), St. Louis Browns (1951) and Washington Senators (1951-52). The Braves traded him to the Giants on June 16, 1945 for outfielder Joe Medwick and pitcher Ewald Pyle. On May 1, 1946 the Giants sent him to the Phillies for outfielder Vince DiMaggio. The next day he was swapped to the Cardinals for infielder Emil Verban. St. Louis sold him to the Pirates on Dec. 26, 1946. The right-handed hitter batted .302 in 73 games with a career-high six homers in 73 games for the Pirates in 1947. Kluttz hit a combined .313 with the Browns and Senators in 57 games in 1951. His nine-year career totals were .268 with 19 homers and 212 runs batted in. Later, he was the Baltimore Orioles' director of player development.
Major League Baseball Player. He was mostly a backup catcher in the big leagues, but he spent 42 years in pro baseball. He was the New York Yankees scout who convinced Oakland Athletics ace Catfish Hunter to sign as a free agent with the Yankees on New Year's Eve 1974 for an estimated $2.85 million. He played for the Boston Braves (1942-45), New York Giants (1945-46), St. Louis Cardinals (1946), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947-48), St. Louis Browns (1951) and Washington Senators (1951-52). The Braves traded him to the Giants on June 16, 1945 for outfielder Joe Medwick and pitcher Ewald Pyle. On May 1, 1946 the Giants sent him to the Phillies for outfielder Vince DiMaggio. The next day he was swapped to the Cardinals for infielder Emil Verban. St. Louis sold him to the Pirates on Dec. 26, 1946. The right-handed hitter batted .302 in 73 games with a career-high six homers in 73 games for the Pirates in 1947. Kluttz hit a combined .313 with the Browns and Senators in 57 games in 1951. His nine-year career totals were .268 with 19 homers and 212 runs batted in. Later, he was the Baltimore Orioles' director of player development.
Bio by: Ron Coons
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