Billy Klaus

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1952-1963)

Billy Klaus was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1963 for 6 teams, including the Boston Braves, a span of 12 seasons. In 821 career games, he hit .249 with 626 hits, 40 home runs, and 250 RBI.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .249
HR 40
RBI 250
H 626
OPS .686
PIV -1,002
Position
Shortstop
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
5'9" / 160 lb
Born
12/9/1928 in Spring Grove, IL, USA
Died
12/3/2006 in Sarasota, FL, USA
MLB Debut
1952-04-16
Last Game
1963-05-17

Full name: William Joseph Klaus

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Career Batting Statistics

Billy Klaus — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
821 2,513 357 626 106 15 40 250 14 331 285 .249 .335 .351 .686 -1,002

Career AVG .249 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .335 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 9.9% below league average.

Career OPS .686 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Billy Klaus Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1952 BSN NL 7 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
1953 ML1 NL 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1955 BOS AL 135 541 83 153 26 2 7 60 6 60 44 .283 .258 (+9%) .332 (+6%) .393 (-4%) .726 (avg) 115.6
1956 BOS AL 135 520 91 141 29 5 7 59 1 90 43 .271 .258 (+5%) .331 (+14%) .397 (-3%) .728 (+5%) 806.2
1957 BOS AL 127 477 76 120 18 4 10 42 2 55 53 .252 .257 (-2%) .323 (+1%) .391 (-6%) .715 (-3%) -167.8
1958 BOS AL 61 88 5 14 4 0 1 7 0 5 16 .159 .257 (-38%) .324 (-37%) .394 (-39%) .719 (-38%) -545.4
1959 BAL AL 104 321 33 80 11 0 3 25 2 51 38 .249 .256 (-3%) .323 (+8%) .392 (-21%) .715 (-8%) -216.4
1960 BAL AL 46 43 8 9 2 0 1 6 0 9 9 .209 — — — — -9.9
1961 WS2 AL 91 251 26 57 8 2 7 30 2 30 34 .227 .258 (-12%) .328 (-5%) .399 (-10%) .727 (-8%) -312.5
1962 PHI NL 102 248 30 51 8 2 4 20 1 29 43 .206 .257 (-20%) .326 (-11%) .393 (-23%) .719 (-18%) -671.6
1963 PHI NL 11 18 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 .056 — — — — 0.0
Career · 11 seasons 821 2,513 357 626 106 15 40 250 14 331 285 .249 — — — — -1,002

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (821 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Billy Klaus — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home413124018432220141.260
Away408127317330420109.239

Last 10 Games — Batting

Billy Klaus — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1963-05-17 PHIHOUL 100000000
1963-05-12 PHIATLW 100000001
1963-05-05 PHIHOUL 300000000
1963-05-03 PHIHOUW 101000000
1963-05-02 PHILADL 400000000
1963-04-24 PHIPITL 100000000
1963-04-21 PHISTLL 200000000
1963-04-21 PHISTLW 100000000
1963-04-18 PHIATLL 100000001
1963-04-17 PHIATLL 100000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Billy Klaus — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 43 10 40 51 2 16
3B 272 244 253 536 38 33
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 425 340 606 1169 83 203

Season-by-Season Fielding

Billy Klaus — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1952 BSN SS 4 0 1 0 1 0
1955 BOS 3B 8 8 7 20 3 0
1955 BOS SS 126 121 207 391 28 55
1956 BOS 3B 106 105 120 242 21 18
1956 BOS SS 26 25 35 64 6 8
1957 BOS SS 118 116 204 417 25 93
1958 BOS SS 27 8 18 35 7 2
1959 BAL 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1959 BAL 3B 49 45 43 84 6 7
1959 BAL SS 59 41 77 147 7 21
1960 BAL 2B 30 3 19 29 2 9
1960 BAL 3B 2 2 0 6 0 0
1960 BAL SS 12 5 10 17 0 5
1961 WS2 2B 1 0 0 1 0 1
1961 WS2 3B 51 43 40 107 6 3
1961 WS2 OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1961 WS2 SS 18 16 24 47 2 8
1962 PHI 2B 11 7 21 21 0 6
1962 PHI 3B 53 39 43 72 2 4
1962 PHI SS 30 8 29 49 7 11
1963 PHI 3B 3 2 0 5 0 1
1963 PHI SS 5 0 1 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Billy Klaus Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Second Base 43
Third Base 272
Shortstop 425
Left Field 1

Award Voting History

Billy Klaus — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 27.0 336 0
1955 Rookie of the Year AL 2nd 5.0 24 5

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Billy Klaus (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Andre Rodgers
    .249 avg, 45 HR
  2. 92
    Alex Kampouris
    .243 avg, 45 HR
  3. 92
    Kevin Stocker
    .254 avg, 23 HR
  4. 91
    Ramon Vazquez
    .254 avg, 22 HR
  5. 90
    Wayne Causey
    .252 avg, 35 HR
  6. 86
    Mike Cubbage
    .258 avg, 34 HR

Billy Klaus: the record in brief

Between the debut on April 16, 1952 and the final game on May 17, 1963, Billy Klaus built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Boston Braves (1952), the Milwaukee Braves (1953), the Boston Red Sox (1955 through 1958), the Baltimore Orioles (1959 through 1960), the Washington Senators (1961), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1962 to 1963). The bio lists Klaus as a shortstop who hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. The recorded size is 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds. The birth record reads December 9, 1928, in Spring Grove, IL, USA. Klaus died on December 3, 2006, in Sarasota, FL, USA. Klaus's full given name, per the bio, is William Joseph Klaus.

Across 821 games at the plate, Klaus's career line reads 626 hits in 2,513 at bats for a .249 average, adding 40 homers and 250 RBI. Reaching base at a .335 clip and slugging .351, Klaus finished with a .686 OPS. Klaus hit .249 while the league hit .256 over the same span, a figure close to average. 1957 was Klaus's biggest home run year, with 10. Klaus collected a career-high 153 hits in 1955.

Frequently Asked Questions about Billy Klaus

What years did Billy Klaus play?
Billy Klaus played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1963.
Was Billy Klaus a pitcher?
No. Billy Klaus was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Billy Klaus hit?
Billy Klaus hit 40 career home runs with 626 hits.
What teams did Billy Klaus play for?
Billy Klaus played for 5 teams: the Milwaukee Braves (1952–1953), the Boston Red Sox (1955–1958), the Baltimore Orioles (1959–1960), the Washington Senators (1961), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1962–1963).
What were Billy Klaus's career stats?
In 821 games, Billy Klaus had 626 hits, 40 home runs, 250 RBI, 357 runs, and 14 stolen bases, with a .249 batting average.
What position did Billy Klaus play?
Billy Klaus played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Billy Klaus and how much did he weigh?
Billy Klaus was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Billy Klaus hit each season?
Billy Klaus's home runs by season: 0 in 1952, 0 in 1953, 7 in 1955, 7 in 1956, 10 in 1957, 1 in 1958, 3 in 1959, 1 in 1960, 7 in 1961, 4 in 1962, and 0 in 1963. His most in one season was 10, in 1957.
What was Billy Klaus's career batting average?
Billy Klaus batted .249 over his career, with 626 hits in 2,513 at bats.
How many RBI did Billy Klaus have?
Billy Klaus drove in 250 runs in his career.
Is Billy Klaus in the Hall of Fame?
No. Billy Klaus has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.