Buddy Blattner

Buddy Blattner
Full name	BLATTNER Robert
Nationality	United States
Medal record Men's table tennis Competitor for United States World Championships Gold 1937 Baden Doubles Gold 1937 Baden Men's Team Gold 1936 Prague Doubles

Buddy Blattner
Second baseman
Born: February 8, 1920(1920-02-08) St. Louis, Missouri
Died: September 4, 2009(2009-09-04) (aged 89) Chesterfield, Missouri
Batted: Switch	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 18, 1942 for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
October 2, 1949 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics
Hits	176
Batting average	.247
Games played	272
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1942) New York Giants (1946-1948) Philadelphia Phillies (1949)

Robert Garnett Blattner (February 8, 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri – September 4, 2009 in Chesterfield, Missouri), commonly known as "Buddy" or "Bud" Blattner, was an American table tennis and baseball player and radio and television sportscaster.

Playing career

Blattner played table tennis in his youth, winning the world men's doubles championship in 1936. He started his baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals, making his big-league debut in the 1942 season. Following a stint in the U.S. Navy, Blattner played for the New York Giants (1946–48) and Philadelphia Phillies (1949), playing primarily at second base.

Broadcasting career

Blattner turned to broadcasting after his retirement as a player, teaming with Dizzy Dean on St. Louis Browns radio as well as nationally on the Liberty and Mutual networks, and on the televised baseball Game of the Week on ABC (1953–54) and CBS (1955–59).

Blattner was replaced on CBS by Pee Wee Reese following a dispute with Dean. He continued to broadcast baseball for the Cardinals (1960–61), Los Angeles/California Angels (1962–68), and Kansas City Royals (1969–75) as well as on NBC in 1969. He also called games for the St. Louis Hawks of the National Basketball Association in the '50s.

Charity work

In 1962, Blattner founded the "Buddy Fund", a charitable organization that supplies athletic equipment to disabled and underprivileged children in the St. Louis area.

Awards and honors

Blattner was inducted into the U.S. Table Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 1979, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.

Death

Blattner died at his home in Chesterfield, Missouri from lung cancer, aged 89.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Noland, Claire. "Buddy Blattner dies at 89; former major leaguer and longtime sportscaster," Los Angeles Times, Saturday, September 5, 2009.
• Buddy Blattner at Find a Grave