Robert Garnett Blattner (February 8, 1920 – September 4, 2009), commonly known as "Buddy" or "Bud" Blattner, was an American table tennis and baseball player and radio and television sportscaster.
A graduate of Beaumont High School in St. Louis, Blattner played table tennis in his youth, winning the world men's doubles championship in 1936.[1] He started his baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals, making his big-league debut in the 1942 season. Following a stint in the U.S. Navy, Blattner played for the New York Giants (1946–48) and Philadelphia Phillies (1949), playing primarily at second base.
Blattner turned to broadcasting after his retirement as a player, teaming with Dizzy Dean on St. Louis Browns radio as well as nationally on the Liberty and Mutual networks, and on the televised baseball Game of the Week on ABC (1953–54) and CBS (1955–59).
In 1962, Blattner founded the "Buddy Fund", a charitable organization that supplies athletic equipment to disabled and underprivileged children in the St. Louis area.[2]