1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #139 "Chuck" Klein

Sunday, January 31, 2021

#139 "Chuck" Klein - Philadelphia Phillies

Charles Herbert Klein

Philadelphia Phillies

Outfield

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6'0" Weight: 185

Born: October 7, 1904, Indianapolis, IN

Major League Teams: Philadelphia Phillies 1928-1933; Chicago Cubs 1934-1936; Philadelphia Phillies 1936-1939; Pittsburgh Pirates 1939; Philadelphia Phillies 1940-1944

World Series Appearances: Chicago Cubs 1935

Died: March 28, 1958, Indianapolis, IN (53)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1980

Chuck Klein won the Triple Crown in 1933, leading the league in batting average (.368), home runs (28) and RBIs (120) and he's one of only six National League players to have accomplished that feat. One of the great all-time Phillies players, Klein was the 1932 N.L. MVP and the starting right fielder, batting third, in the first ever All-Star Game held in 1933. He led the league in home runs four times, hitting a career high 43 during his first full season in 1929. Klein also led the league in runs scored three times, hits twice, doubles twice, RBIs twice and stolen bases (with 20) once. He was the first National League player in the modern era to hit four home runs in a game, accomplishing that feat on July 10, 1936. He compiled a .320 average over his 17-year career, a mark that is currently 49th on the all-time list.

2006 Toyota Phillies Wall of Fame Postcards

In between three different stints with the Phillies, Klein played briefly with the Cubs and Pirates, reaching the World Series in 1935 with the Cubs. He was also a great fielder, playing a shallow right field in Philadelphia's Baker Bowl and leading the league in assists with 44 in 1930. In 1,753 career games, Klein amassed 2,076 hits, exactly 300 home runs and 1,201 RBIs. He was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame and the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1980.

Building the Set

December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY

Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price. These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #120, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120.

As I slowly collect the originals from the 1930s, I'll also highlight each of the cards from these extension sets with their own posts.

Variations Available

1 - 1993 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1993 copyright

The Card / Phillies Team Set

Klein is portrayed wearing the Phillies home jersey worn by the club for their 1935, 1936 and 1937 seasons. The back of the card highlights his four home run game from 1936. The Evansville anecdote would have happened on opening day 1922 when Klein was playing in his first professional games as a 22-year-old for the Evansville Hubs. The Phillies acquired him in July 1928 from the Fort Wayne Chiefs.

After playing the entire 1934 and 1935 seasons with the Cubs, Klein was traded back to the Phillies along with Fabian Kowalik for Ethan Allen (#92) and Curt Davis on May 21, 1936. Given that these cards are imagined to have been issued in August 1936, I'm glad Klein was back with his original team by then and we get a fantasy Phillies card as a result.

1936 Season

After 29 games with the Cubs, Klein picked up where he had left off with the Phillies and slid into their line-up as the every day right fielder. In 117 games with the Phillies, he hit .309 with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs. First baseman Dolph Camilli led the club that season in both power categories with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs. The Phillies finished in last place with a 54-100 record under manager Jimmie Wilson (#22).

Phillies Career

In his three different stints with the club, Klein was a bright spot for some dreadful Phillies teams. His offensive statistics for his first five years are staggering as he batted .359 and averaged 131.6 runs, 46.4 doubles, 36 home runs and 138.6 RBIs per season. His 43 home runs in 1929 was a Phillies season record until broken by Mike Schmidt in 1980 when Schmidt hit 48. Klein still holds the Phillies single season records (since 1900) for runs (158), doubles (59), extra-base hits (107), total bases (445) and RBIs (170). His 243 home runs with the Phillies are second on the team's all-time list among left-handed batters behind Ryan Howard, who hit 382. Klein is the all-time franchise leader (minimum 3,000 plate appearances) with a .553 slugging percentage.

In 2001, the Phillies wanted to honor Klein by retiring his number. The problem was, Klein had worn 7 different numbers during his time with the club - 1, 3, 8, 26, 29, 32 and 36 - so the team opted to "retire" the old English "P" worn by Klein during his first six season with the team as a symbolic gesture.