The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-07-02

Within a short time he made
the Indiana varsity baseball team
and came to the attention of the
Cincinnati Redlegs. He is now
one of the highest paid and most
feared sluggers in the game. He
has been rightly tabled: Hercules
with a bat"
The 235-pound Klu has earned
the reputation of being the strong
est man in baseball, even stronger
than Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn
Dodgers.
Kluszewski's record during the
past few years has been an i'm
pressive one. In 1852 he hit is
home runs while batting a fancy
800. His average was approximate
ly the same last year, .316, but his
home run output scared to Al. This
year promises to be more brilliant
than the past. During a 10-game
span this season he raped out a
total of IA hits in 81 trips to the
plate and drove home i8 runs to
push himself up among the loops
top run producers.
1t was during that 10-game span,
too, that the big infielder was paid
one of the highest compliments ex-
tended to him in his illustrious ma
jor league career. 1t occurred in
game with the Dodgers, an lin
ming affair won by the Reds on
Johnny Temples bases-loaded sin
gle. With the score deadlocked at
sail, two away and none on in the
last of the ninth. Dodger Pilot Walt
Aston set the fans and press box
agog by ordering Kluszewski inten-
tionally passed. Alston's strategy
was obvious, but unusual. II also
was tribute to Big Klu's slugging
prowess.
When asked about this sudden
rise in homer output the Redleg
answered: "Darned il | know" He
is as friendly as he is big and
he cannot be summed up as a big
dumbbell who is doing what comes
naturally. He studies hard about
the art of batting. He practices by
himself and aims at perfection. He
has movies taken of himself in ac-
ton so that he can analyze and per-
feet his style. If he gets an idea
he works on it. In a night game
with the Pirates this season he
tried something different, After
experiencing his usual spring mis-
cries trying to adjust his timing, he
decided to switch bats. AS result
the Pirates were the victims of
two home runs off the Kluszewski
bat as they tumbled TO an 81 de-
feat
Il used a bat three ounces light |
er and one inch shorter than the
one | had been using and I seem
ed to be swinging better" he said.
Ruszewski is a solid, muscular
type Of swinger with a style that
is different from the techniques
employed by Ted Williams, Stan
Musisl, and Eddie Mathews. Big
Klu appears to use his arms more
in full-bodied pivot and his wrist
action is hardly discernible.
II do by brute strength what
they do by finesse," he frankly ad-
nitted. Il can hit a ball on the
handle and give it a ride. Williams
always gets the solid part of his
bat on ball When a ball is pitch
ed to me, start my arm action ear.
ly That's why look so bad when
| am fooled Once I start to swing
I'm dead. / have to go through with
it,"
II was this swing, however, that
first attracted the Redlegs to this
one.time football end, who is built
more like a tackle. During the war
years there was no spring training
in the South. The Cincinnati ball
club trained at Bloomington, Ind,
the site of Indiana University.
After the leaguers had finished
their workouts OH the varsity dia-
mond, the coIlegions would take
over. The grounds keeper, Lenny
Schwab, was tidying up the place
and noticed that the Indiana firt
haseman was powdering the ball
farther than any of the wartime
professionals. He told Manager Bill
McKechnie about his discovery
and that is how Klu got his start.
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