{{Short description|American baseball player (1875–1959)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Lefty Houtz |position=Outfielder |image=Lefty Houtz.jpg |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{birth date|1875|9|4}} |birth_place=Connersville, Indiana, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1959|2|15|1875|9|4}} |death_place=St. Marys, Ohio, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=July 23 |debutyear=1899 |debutteam=Cincinnati Reds |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=July 26 |finalyear=1899 |finalteam=Cincinnati Reds |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.235 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=0 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=0 |teams= *Cincinnati Reds ({{baseball year|1899}}) }}
'''Fred Fritz "Lefty" Houtz''' (September 4, 1875 – February 15, 1959) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1899 and also had a 12-year minor league career. Houtz stood at 5' 10" and weighed 170 lbs.<ref name="statistics">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/houtzle01.shtml "Lefty Houtz Statistics and History"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved 2010-12-22.</ref>
==Career== Lefty Houtz was born in Connersville, Indiana.<ref name="statistics"/> He started his professional baseball career in 1899 with the Texas League's Galveston Sand Crabs<ref name="minors">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=houtz-001fre "Lefty Houtz Minor League Statistics & History"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved 2010-12-22.</ref> and made an immediate impact. In 78 games that year, he batted .395 and slugged .673 with 17 home runs.<ref name="minors"/> He led the league in triples, home runs, hits, total bases, and slugging percentage.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=14155 "1899 Texas League Batting Leaders"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved 2010-12-22.</ref>
Houtz was then acquired by the Cincinnati Reds, and he made his major league debut on July 23.<ref name="statistics"/> ''Sporting Life'' later wrote of that day: <blockquote>"All records were broken after acquisition of "Lefty" Houtz, who was hailed by the late Harry Weldon as the champion slugger of the Texas League. The afternoon that Houtz made his debut the stands were packed and overflow meetings were held along the lines."<ref>Mulford, Ren, Jr. [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1908/VOL_52_NO_02/SL5202002.pdf "The Red Chase"]. ''Sporting Life'', September 19, 1908, p. 2.</ref></blockquote>
Houtz played five games for the Reds from July 23 to July 26. He went 4 for 17 at the plate with 4 walks, for a .381 on-base percentage.<ref name="statistics"/> He finished out the season with St. Paul of the Western League.<ref name="minors"/> On October 7, ''Sporting Life'' reported that Houtz ("the Texas League wonder") had been released outright from Cincinnati.<ref>[http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1899/VOL_34_NO_03/SL3403007.pdf "Porkopolis Points"]. ''Sporting Life'', October 7, 1899, p. 7.</ref> He then played for two teams in 1900 and batted just .220.<ref name="minors"/>
In 1902, Houtz joined the Butte Miners of the Pacific Northwest League. He raised his batting average to .291,<ref name="minors"/> and Butte won the league championship.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YN9YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2vMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6616,5429606&dq=lefty-houtz&hl=en "Butte Has Pennant"]. ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'', October 10, 1902, p. 12.</ref> The following season, he moved to the Pacific National League's San Francisco Pirates and batted .286.<ref name="minors"/> He broke out again in 1904, with the Boise Fruit Pickers. Houtz was one of the PNL's top sluggers that season, batting .343 and pacing the circuit with 33 doubles and 18 triples while finishing second in total bases.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=13459 "1904 Pacific National League Batting Leaders"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved 2010-12-22.</ref>
In 1905, Houtz played in the Pacific Coast League, and his batting average fell to .243.<ref name="minors"/> He was ordered to report to spring training with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals in early 1906<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_PwaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q0gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5069,5724637&dq=lefty-houtz&hl=en "General Sports"]. ''The Pittsburgh Press'', February 28, 1906, p. 14.</ref> but did not play for the Cardinals in a regular season game. His five games in 1899 would remain the only major league experience of his career.<ref name="statistics"/> Houtz instead spent 1906 and 1907 playing for the Montgomery Senators of the Southern Association. In May 1906, the ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'' reported that he was "hitting the ball hard",<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K7lXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8vMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3558,3121687&dq=lefty-houtz&hl=en "Sporting Tips"]. ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'', May 9, 1906, p. 5.</ref> but his batting average that year was just .244. He then hit .258 in 1907.<ref name="minors"/>
Houtz went to the Central League's Zanesville Infants in 1908 and then to the Ohio State League's Lima Cigarmakers in 1910.<ref name="minors"/> In 1911, he batted .323 and led the OSL in slugging percentage, triples, and total bases.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=13290 "1910 Ohio State League Batting Leaders"]. ''baseball-reference.com''. Retrieved 2010-12-22.</ref> It was the third time in his career that he led a league in triples. He retired from professional baseball after that season.<ref name="minors"/>
Houtz died in 1959 in St. Marys, Ohio. He was buried in New St. Joseph Cemetery.<ref name="statistics"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=h/houtzle01}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houtz, Lefty}} Category:1875 births Category:1959 deaths Category:People from Connersville, Indiana Category:People from Auglaize County, Ohio Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:St. Paul Saints (Western League) players Category:Mansfield Haymakers players Category:Sioux City Corn Huskers players Category:Fort Wayne Railroaders players Category:Indianapolis Hoosiers (minor league) players Category:Marion Glass Blowers players Category:Butte Miners players Category:Seattle Siwashes players Category:Montgomery Senators players Category:Zanesville Infants players Category:Birmingham Barons players Category:Baseball players from Indiana Category:19th-century baseball players Category:19th-century American sportsmen Category:San Francisco Pirates players Category:Lima Cigarmakers players