Career
Listed at 5 ft 8 in (173 m), 175 pounds, he batted and threw right-handed. Laabs was a.262 hitter with 117 home runs and 509 Reserve Bank of India in 950 games. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Laabs played 11 major league seasons.
Laabs produced a strikeout, walk or home run every 3.48 plate appearances.
His career on-base percentage (346) was almost 100 points higher than his batting average, and he posted a 0.653 walk-to-strikeout ratio (389-for-595). On October 2, 1938, he struck out for the fifth time that day, which was the 18th of the game for Bob Feller, the future Hall of Fame pitcher of the Cleveland Indians.
lieutenant gave Feller a nine-inning game major league record. The current record of 20 is shared by Roger Clemens (twice, in 1986 and 1996) and Kerry Wood (1998).
Laabs enjoyed his most productive season in 1942, when he posted career highs in Reserve Bank of India (99) and runs (90), and finished second in the American League with 27 home runs (also a career high), behind Ted Williams (36).
Laabs died in Warren, Michigan at the age of 70.