After playing youth football with
Rapid Wien and
Kapfenberger SV, Baumgartner began his senior career with
Austria Wien. Between 1953 and 1958, Baumgartner played 69 times for the team from Vienna. In 1957, Baumgartner toured Australia with FK Austria, playing a large part in the Austrian team winning nine of eleven matches.
South Coast and APIA Baumgartner was managing a migrant canteen in
Unanderra, close to the home of
South Coast United. The Secretary of the club, Trevor Birch, convinced Baumgarter to join as a player-coach which included managing the junior teams also. Baumgartner struggled at the beginning of the season and had told the club that the prospects weren't bright for the season.
APIA were also struggling at the time and their board member
Jim Bayutti was trying to acquire Baumgarter's services to help rectify the situation. Baumgarter was agreeable to a transfer to APIA citing that he "was costing the club so much money" and "with the money Apia was prepared to pay, [they] could buy [the] players [necessary to build a good team]". The committees negotiated a deal which included the transfer of APIA players, Roberts, Marshall and Trisic for Baumgarter and his brother, Kurt, prior to the start of Round 5. ==Honours==