Baumgartner was born on September 9, 1880 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He began his baseball career with the Washington C.H. club in 1902, finishing the year with a 27-16 win–loss record. He signed with the Helena Senators of the Pacific National League in 1903, taking the spot of Jimmy Wiggs. Puttmann played for both Helena and the Spokane Indians, also of the Pacific National League, in 1903.
In September 1903, he was acquired by the New York Highlanders from Spokane, with manager Clark Griffith reportedly discovering him. He made his major league debut on September 4 against the Washington Senators, relieving John Deering and allowing two runs, one of which was earned, and striking out three batters in 5.0 innings. He appeared in two more games for the Highlanders in September, throwing complete game victories against the St. Louis Browns on September 24 and the Detroit Tigers on September 29. He ended the year with a 0.95 earned run average in 19.0 innings.
Following the 1903 season, the National Baseball Commission ruled that Puttmann could play with New York in 1904 not because he jumped to the club before the season concluded, but because the Highlanders drafted him in the fall. He was subsequently fined $200 by the Spokane club for deserting the team.

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