Larry Biittner

Lawrence David Biittner (July 27, 1946 – January 2, 2022) was an American outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for four teams from 1970 to 1983, most notably the Chicago Cubs and Washington Senators / Texas Rangers. He enjoyed his best season with the Cubs in 1977, batting .298 with 12 home runs and 62 runs batted in (RBI), and posting career highs in nearly every category. In later years he was increasingly used as a pinch hitter, which became his primary role in his final three seasons.

Early life Biittner was born in Pocahontas, Iowa, on July 27, 1946. He was one of twelve children of Edward Oscar Biittner and Henrietta Amollia (Stoulil). His paternal grandparents immigrated from Germany in 1879. Biittner attended Catholic High in his hometown, graduating in 1964. He was awarded a basketball scholarship by Drake University, but eventually transferred to Buena Vista College on a basketball and baseball scholarship. while spending almost all the 1969 season serving in the US Army. During his rookie year in 1971, he finished fourth in the American League (AL) in assists (6) and errors (5) by a right fielder, despite playing only 44 games defensively. He spent the first part of the 1974 season with the Memphis Blues (the Expos' Class-AAA affiliate), before being promoted to the major league roster in August. However, he was limited to pinch-hitting appearances. He was later asked what his best pitch was, and he jokingly answered, "The home run ball!"[Chicago Tribune, July 5, 1977, p.55 or sec.4 p.1] He fell a triple short of hitting for the cycle on September 26 of that same year. He was limited to just 42 games that year due to the strike. He died on January 2, 2022, at the age of 75. He suffered from cancer prior to his death.