Born John Peter but better known by his nickname, Red Kleinow was with the organization before the Yankees officially adopted their famous moniker. A late bloomer behind the plate, Kleinow never quite blossomed into a star, but he carved out a respectable career as one of the better defensive catchers of his era.
John Peter “Red” Kleinow
Born: July 20, 1877 (Milwaukee, WI)
Died: October 9, 1929 (New York, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1904-10
Born in America’s Dairyland in 1877, Kleinow traveled south to attend
St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, becoming the first Hilltopper to reach the major leagues. After playing for St. Edward’s, Kleinow spent the 1902 and 1903 campaigns with the Toledo Mud Hens, developing a reputation as a strong defensive catcher, and—after hitting .320 in 1903—drew the attention of both the New York Highlanders and the Cincinnati Reds.
There are conflicting reports regarding which club first secured Kleinow’s rights and exactly how the dispute unfolded between the two clubs in these early days of the American League. After some debate, the Highlanders were ultimately awarded his contract, making Kleinow a member of the club prior to the 1904 season, just the second season in the club’s history.
The former Hilltopper would play for the Highlanders at Hilltop Park, making his MLB debut on May 3, 1904. He spent his rookie season backing up veteran Deacon McGuire, slashing .206/.259/.282 while appearing in 68 games. It would prove to be one of the best seasons of Kleinow’s tenure in New York, as the Highlanders narrowly lost the pennant to the Boston Americans on the season’s final day. Kleinow was also behind the plate for Jack Chesbro’s infamous wild pitch that helped seal the pennant for Boston. The pitcher’s wife later said that she thought it should have been a passed ball on Red, but regardless, it was a painful way for a fun season to end.
Kleinow improved in 1905, appearing in 88 games while slashing .221/.284/.281. His 1906 season was statistically very similar, and the Highlanders once again finished second in the pennant race.
The 1907 campaign proved to be Kleinow’s best. He raised his batting average to .264 while collecting 71 hits and scoring 30 runs. However, that success was short-lived. Red followed his best season with arguably his worst, watching his batting average fall nearly 100 points during his age-30 campaign. The Highlanders also struggled in 1908, losing 103 games.
After such a difficult season, both Kleinow and the Highlanders needed a change in fortune. The club debuted the now-famous interlocking NY in 1909 and improved to a 74-78 record, though it still finished fifth in the pennant race. Kleinow also rebounded, lifting his batting average back above the .200 mark.
Kleinow opened the 1910 season with New York before being sold to Boston after just six games. He remained there for the rest of the season and appeared in a handful of games in 1911 before being released. Following his release, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and finished the season by appearing in a handful of games for them as well.
In 1912, Kleinow signed with the Baltimore Orioles but appeared in fewer than 10 games before being released in early June. He then spent several more seasons in the minor leagues and Independent baseball before finally hanging up his cleats.
After his playing career ended, Kleinow worked as both a scout and a coach. Even by Deadball Era standards, he was never much of an offensive player, but he built a reputation as one of the better defensive catchers of his day. In his seven years in New York, Kleinow produced 5.1 WAR and was also one of the players who was featured in the 1909 T206 tobacco card set made famous by Honus Wagner.
Happy birthday, Red!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
