Buddy Blattner

Robert Garnett Blattner

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0½", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Beaumont High School (St. Louis)
• Debut April 18, 1942
• Final Game October 2, 1949
• Born February 8, 1920 in St. Louis, MO USA
• Died September 4, 2009 in Chesterfield, MO USA

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Biographical Information

Buddy Blattner won the world title in table tennis in 1936 before his five-year major league career. As a major leaguer, he had occasional power and drew lots of walks. In his one season as a regular, with the New York Giants in 1946, his 11 home runs were fifth-best on the team (Johnny Mize led the team with 22), his 6 triples led the team and his .351 OBP was better than the team's .328. In his last major league season, with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1949, his OBP of .371 and his SLG of .464 were both much higher than the team averages.

Buddy was a broadcaster for the St. Louis Browns from 1950 to 1953, the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1961, the Los Angeles Angels/California Angels from 1962 to 1968 and the Kansas City Royals from 1969 to 1975. He was an announcer with Dizzy Dean on the televised "Game of the Week" during the 1950s.

Blattner entered the United States Military on October 15, 1942, serving in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II until being discharged on December 5, 1945.

Related Sites

• Buddy Blattner at the SABR Bio Project
• Baseball in Wartime - Buddy Blattner