:Johnny Klippstein

{{Short description|American baseball player (1927–2003)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Johnny Klippstein

|image=Johnny Klippstein 1961.jpg

|position=Pitcher

|birth_date={{Birth date|1927|10|17}}

|birth_place=Washington, D.C., U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|2003|10|10|1927|10|17}}

|death_place=Elgin, Illinois, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate= May 3

|debutyear= 1950

|debutteam= Chicago Cubs

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 27

|finalyear=1967

|finalteam= Detroit Tigers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=101–118

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=4.24

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=1,158

|stat4label=Saves

|stat4value=66

|teams=

• Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1950}}–{{mlby|1954}})
• Cincinnati Redlegs ({{mlby|1955}}–{{mlby|1958}})
• Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1958}}–{{mlby|1959}})
• Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1960}})
• Washington Senators ({{mlby|1961}})
• Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1962}})
• Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1964}})
• Minnesota Twins ({{mlby|1964}}–{{mlby|1966}})
• Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1967}})

|highlights=

• World Series champion ({{wsy|1959}})

}}

John Calvin Klippstein (October 17, 1927 – October 10, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher (mostly a reliever), who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for a number of teams, over an 18-season career. The most prominent portion of his early career was spent with the Chicago Cubs ({{by|1950}}–{{by|1954}}). Klippstein’s career stat line included a 101–118 record, with a 4.24 earned run average (ERA), in 711 games (161 of them as a starter). He had 1,158 strikeouts in {{frac|1,967|2|3}} innings pitched. Klippstein was often known for his control problems.

Klippstein became a world champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the 1959 World Series, but played a much more significant role in the Minnesota Twins’ pennant run in 1965. He was the son-in-law of (the late) MLB pitcher Dutch Leonard. Klippstein was tied (with Mike Fornieles) for the league lead in saves in {{by|1960}}, with 14.

Klippstein died October 10, 2003, while listening to a radio broadcast of the Cubs versus Florida Marlins game of the 2003 National League Championship Series.{{cite web|title=Johnny Klippstein|url=http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/k/klippstein_johnny.html|work=www.historicbaseball.com|access-date=1 November 2012}}