Heinie Peitz

Who was Heinie Peitz?

Henry Clement "Heinie" Peitz was an American baseball catcher. He played for the St. Louis Browns, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Louisville Colonels, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was part of the famed "Pretzel Battery" with pitcher Ted Breitenstein while playing for the Browns and Reds in the 1890s.

In 16 seasons of Major League Baseball, Peitz appeared in 1,234 games, scored 532 runs, compiled a .342 career on-base percentage, and had 1,117 hits, 191 doubles, 66 triples, 560 RBIs, 91 stolen bases, and 409 bases on balls.

Peitz was also the manager of the Louisville Colonels and led the team to an American Association pennant in 1909. He was also employed as a scout, coach, and umpire after retiring as a player. In 2003, he was ranked as the 82nd best catcher of all time by Bill James in "The New Bill James Historical Abstract."