Clint Hartung
From SABR Encyclopedia
| Clint Hartung | |
| Clinton Clarence Hartung | |
| "Floppy,The Hondo Hurricane" | |
 | |
| Bat/Throw: | R/R |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6' 5" |
| Weight: | 210 |
| Born: | 1922-8-10 at Hondo, TX (US) |
| Died: | 2010-7-8 at Sinton, TX (US) |
| Interred: | Sinton Cemetery in Sinton, TX (US) |
| More info | |
| Statistics: | Retrosheet |
|---|---|
| SABR Searches: | Pictures of Clint Hartung | width:90% height:65% scrolling:auto | Pictures}} · Bibliography |
Some called him "Superman" others named him "Baseball's Paul Bunyan". Clint played only one year in
the low minors in 1942, before going into the Army Air Force. His feats and exploits were confined almost exclusively to Army baseball during the WWII. His exploits made him an almost legendary character in service sports' annals. It describes him as a pitcher-slugger of prodigious potentialities, a player with unmatched strength and natural talents. In the Air Force for nearly four years he played baseball at Hondo Air Base in Texas and Honolulu, Hawaii. He played for a team that won the Pacific area championship, he pitched 25 games and lost none. Between times he patrolled the
outfield and first base, compiling in 67 games a batting average of .561 that included 30 home runs.
his whole, if thus far brief career is of the stuff of legends.
Clint made his entry into professional baseball only because the Minneapolis Millers elected in the spring of 1942 to train at New Braunsfel,Texas near his home in Hondo, Texas. The principal of the Hondo High School persuaded Mike Kelly, owner of the Millers to give young Hartung a tryout. On the strength of exactly one warmup he was signed to a contract. Before his entry into the service in 1942, Clint played 66 games at Eau Claire in the Wisconsin State League. There he hit .358 including 12 home runs and accounted for 120 runs. Supporting these figures was Mike Kelly recommendation that Hartung was the finest young prospect he had seen in his fifty years of baseball experience. It was his opinion that pursuaded the president of the New York Giants, Horace Stoneham to pay $25,000 and four players for his contract, a record price for a player with only one year of class D experience.
In spring training he occasionally hit the ball tremendous distances, but was a terrible as an outfielder. After the season opened his future as an outfielder was doubtful. On 5/9/47 he was brought in as a relief pitcher and pitched six shutout innings and five strikeouts. Clint eventually realized if he had any future it would be as a pitcher. He had a blazing fastball but could not master the curve ball. He continued pitching the next three seasons but with no improvement. He gave up pitching hoping to make the grade as a pinch hitter and outfielder. Finally out of the majors after the 1952 season with a major league record of 29-29 and a 5.02 ERA. As a hitter he batted .238 in 196 games. It was back to the minors for several years and eventually he went back to Texas oil fields.
Source
- The Giants of New York-Year Book 1947. New York: National Exhibition Company, 1947.
- Who's Who in Professional Baseball. New Rochelle,NY: Arlington House, 1973.
