Klein, "Chuck" (Charles H.)
Baseball
b. Oct. 7, 1904, Indianapolis, IN
d. March 28, 1958
A left-handed hitter who threw right-handed, Klein was a 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder who had one of the most productive five-year periods in baseball history from 1929 through 1933. During that period, he collected 1,118 hits, scored 658 runs, hit 180 home runs, and drove in 693 runs.
Klein joined the NL's Philadelphia Phillies during the 1928 season, batting .360 and hitting 11 home runs in just 64 games. Then he began his five-year tear. He led the league in home runs with 43 in 1929, when he batted .356 and 145 RBI. In 1930, he scored 158 runs and hit 59 doubles to lead the league in both categories, with a .386 average, 40 home runs, and 170 RBI.
His 121 runs, 31 home runs, and 121 RBI led the league in 1931. The following year, Klein was named the league's most valuable player, leading in runs with 152, hits with 226, home runs with 38, and stolen bases with 20. He topped it all off by winning the triple crown in 1933 with a .368 average, 28 home runs, and 120 RBI. Klein also led the league with 223 hits and 44 doubles that season.
The strong-armed Klein had 44 assists in 1930, still the major league record for an outfielder, and his 43 home runs in 1929 was an NL record at the time.
The financially troubled Phillies sold Klein to the Chicago Cubs in 1934 and he never again produced such amazing numbers. However, after returning to the Phillies in 1936, he hit 4 home runs in a game against Pittsburgh. He's one of only a dozen players in baseball history to accomplish that.
Klein went to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1939 season, but was back in Philadelphia the following year. For the last five years of his career, he was a part-time player, often used as a pinch-hitter. He retired after getting 1 hit in 7 at-bats in 1944.
In 1,753 games, Klein had a .320 batting average with 2,076 hits, including 398 doubles, 74 triples, and 300 home runs. He drove in 1,201 runs and scored 1,168.