Lew Krausse Jr.
Lew Krausse Jr. | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Media, Pennsylvania, U.S. | April 25, 1943|
Died: February 16, 2021 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | (aged 77)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 16, 1961, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 23, 1974, for the Atlanta Braves | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 68–91 |
Earned run average | 4.00 |
Strikeouts | 721 |
Teams | |
Lewis Bernard Krausse Jr.
Krausse was the son of a former Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who remained with the organization as a
Early life
Krausse was born in
Career
Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (1961–1969)
High school phenom (1961)
Just over a week after signing, at the age of 18, Krausse made his major league debut when he started a game against the expansion
Krausse was less successful in his next starts for Kansas City, partly because he was
Minor leagues, arm trouble (1962–1965)
In 1962, Krausse was assigned to the
Assigned to the
Krausse opened 1964 with the Athletics but did not make his first appearance until two weeks into the season, when he allowed three runs and failed to get out of the first inning, taking the loss in a 7–4 loss to the Senators on April 26. The next day, he was sent back to Class AAA with Kansas City's new affiliate, the PCL's
The Athletics used their final
Career high in wins (1966)
During 1966
Facing the Yankees in the second start of a doubleheader on August 19, Krausse held them scoreless for eight innings and earned the win in a 1–0 victory.[28] On September 2, he held the Red Sox to one run (unearned) in a complete game, 5–1 victory.[29] He was pitching a scoreless game against the Senators on September 16 when a transformer fire caused half of the D. C. Stadium lights to go out, suspending the game for two days. Resuming his spot on the mound on Sunday, Krausse left with 7+1⁄3 scoreless innings pitched, earning the win in the 1–0 triumph.[30][31] In 36 games (22 starts), he had a 14–9 record with a 2.99 ERA, setting a career high in wins despite pitching for a team with one of the poorest offenses in the AL.[2] That season, his victory total was tied with four other pitchers for sixth best in the AL, and his 2.99 ERA was ninth best.[32] He had 87 strikeouts, 63 walks, and 144 hits allowed in 177+2⁄3 innings.[1]
Disagreement with Finley (1967)
Krausse did not have a good year in 1967, partly due to personal problems.[33] After a 2–7 start to the season, he was moved to the bullpen following his May 27 outing. He rejoined the rotation on June 6 but was used exclusively out of the bullpen after a July 30 start.[34] During the season, Krausse's mother suffered a fatal heart attack. On July 7, Krausse allegedly fired a .38 caliber pistol from Kansas City's Bellerive Hotel into an empty office in the Phillips Petroleum building, though the police never filed charges because of insufficient evidence.[35][36]
On August 18, Finley fined Krausse $500 for his behavior on a team flight, suspending him as well.[37] Dark believed, after talking to several of the other players, that Krausse had been playing pranks on Athletics broadcaster Monte Moore, who then falsely reported to Finley that Krausse used "deplorable language" when speaking to a pregnant woman on the flight. When Dark refused to enforce the suspension, Finley summoned him to his Washington, D.C. hotel room during an Athletics road series against the Senators.[38] In a seven-hour meeting, Finley fired his manager, decided to rehire him, then fired him again when he was presented with a player's statement backing Dark and criticizing Finley's use of spies to keep tabs on the players. Finley also released first baseman Ken Harrelson, who had stood up for Krausse, prompting Harrelson to dub Finley "a menace to the sport".[39][38] The suspension was quickly lifted, and Krausse was back to pitching for the Athletics on August 23. He said that the suspension had been justified, then later claimed that Finley had intimidated him into voicing his support for the suspension.[4][40] Players' Association director Marvin Miller lodged a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, but the complaint was withdrawn when the Athletics agreed to cancel Krausse's suspension. Still forced to pay the fine, Krausse demanded a trade, as did fellow pitchers Jack Aker and Jim Nash. However, Krausse would remain with the Athletics for two more seasons.[2] In a career-high 48 games (19 starts), he had a 7–17 record, six saves, a 4.28 ERA, 96 strikeouts, 67 walks, and 140 hits allowed in 160 inning pitched.[1] His 17 losses tied with teammates Catfish Hunter and Jim Nash for third in the AL, behind George Brunet's 19 and Steve Barber's 18.[41]
Oakland (1968–1969)
Despite his disagreements with Finley, Krausse became the first Athletic to sign his 1968 contract that January. He said his offseason job as a dockworker in Chester influenced his decision. "[It] just made me realize how good a life baseball is. … [i]t gave me a different outlook."
In 1969, Krausse became the team's
Krausse returned to the rotation in July when Nash was moved to the bullpen to regain his strength after suffering arm trouble.[49] After going 1–1 in his first two starts, he won four consecutive starts, beginning with a shutout of the Angels on July 11.[48] He threw another shutout on August 15, holding the Detroit Tigers to four hits in a 4–0 victory.[50] However, Krausse won no more games that season and was moved back to the bullpen in mid-September.[48] In 43 games (16 starts), he had a 7–7 record, a career-high seven saves, a 4.44 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 48 walks, and 134 hits in 140 innings.[1] Offensively, he hit four home runs during the season.[2]
Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1971)
On January 15, 1970, Krausse was dealt to the Seattle Pilots with Ken Sanders, Phil Roof, and Mike Hershberger in exchange for Don Mincher and Ron Clark.[1] He initially threatened not to report, but he changed his mind when he realized he was more likely to start games for the organization. Ultimately, he never pitched in Seattle, as the team became the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the start of the regular season. On April 7, he started the first game in Brewers history, allowing four runs in three innings and taking the loss in a 12–0 defeat to the Angels at Milwaukee County Stadium.[2][51] On July 7, he pitched the first shutout in Brewers' history, defeating the White Sox 1–0.[52] The shutout was part of six straight wins Krausse recorded from June 25 through July 24, as he improved his record to 10–10.[51] However, he was only 3–8 for the rest of the season.[51] Run support did not aid Krausse, as the Brewers scored just 613 runs, two away from being the lowest total in the AL.[2] He set career highs in several categories, such as games started (35), innings (216), and strikeouts (130).[1] However, his 18 losses were second only to Mickey Lolich's 19 in the AL.[53] Krausse's ERA was 4.75.[1]
Krausse opened 1971 as the number two starter in the Brewers' rotation, behind Marty Pattin.[54] On May 1, he allowed five hits and no runs in eight innings, earning his first win of the season in a 1–0 victory over the Yankees.[55] With only a 2–8 record in June, Krausse said, "I'm sick and tired of this. I can't take pitching like this any longer getting no runs."[56] He threatened retirement and said that he and his fellow Brewers starters would have more wins than the pitchers for the Orioles were they members of the eventual World Series champions.[56] He was moved to the bullpen in mid-June, though he made occasional starts for the Brewers during the rest of the season and returned to the rotation just before September started.[57] On September 11, he pitched seven shutout innings and allowed only three hits, earning the win in a 3–0 triumph over the Angels.[58] In 43 games (22 starts), he had an 8–12 record, a career-best 2.94 ERA, 92 strikeouts, 62 walks, and 164 hits allowed in 180+1⁄3 innings.[1]
Boston Red Sox (1972)
Ten days after the 1971 season ended, on October 10, Krausse was part of a ten-player trade that sent him, Pattin, Tommy Harper, and minor-league outfielder Pat Skrable from the Brewers to the Red Sox for George Scott, Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Billy Conigliaro, Joe Lahoud and Don Pavletich.[59] He was excited about his new team, pointing out that "This is the first time I've been with a contender. It's easily the best shot I've ever had at a pennant."[60] Still trying to earn a starting spot with the Red Sox after the season began, he pitched nine scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers in his first start on April 30, earning the win in Boston's 10-inning, 3–0 triumph.[61] He continued making starts after that but lost his only three decisions, posted a 4.81 ERA through June 2, and was moved to the bullpen thereafter.[62] After August 20, though Krausse remained on the roster and the Red Sox had 42 games remaining in their season, he was not used at all.[62] In 24 games (seven starts), he had a 1–3 record, a 6.38 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 28 walks, and 74 hits allowed in 60+2⁄3 innings.[1]
St. Louis Cardinals (1973)
The Red Sox released Krausse towards the end of 1973 spring training, on March 27.
Atlanta Braves (1974)
On December 17, 1973, the
In 1975, Krausse returned to Tucson with the Athletics organization. Making 44 appearances (four starts), he had an 8–4 record but a 5.40 ERA, worse than the PCL average by about a run.[2][9] Following the season, he retired.[2]
Career statistics, pitching style
Krausse pitched in a total of 321 games in his career, 167 as a starting pitcher. His career win–loss record was 68–91; he pitched 1,284 total innings, with 1,205 hits allowed, 721 strikeouts and 493 walks allowed. His ERA was 4.00.[1]
Originally a fastball-curveball pitcher, Krausse added a changeup and a slider as his career progressed.[2][67] Dark said of Krausse in 1966, "His curve is exceptional. He reminds me a lot of Carl Erskine."[68] Both Dark and Cot Deal, the Athletics' pitching coach, helped Krausse develop his changeup that same year.[2][20]
Personal life
Krausse married Susan Wickersham, a flight attendant, in November 1969.[2] They remained married for the rest of his life.[69] The couple had two sons, Kurt and Chad, who lived in Kansas City after they grew up.[70] During offseasons, he held a number of different jobs. He once was employed with former major leaguers Mickey Vernon and Danny Murtaugh at a Chester clothing shop. Other fields he labored in included dock work, real estate, season ticket salesman, and hotel public relations.[2] He was inducted into the Delaware County Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, joining his father, who had been inducted in 1963.[71] Continuing to serve as a salesman after his career, in 1983, Krausse took on a larger role when he partnered with Fred Paulsen and Bill Drummond to start a metals service center in Kansas City. The business expanded to serve six states by 1997, when Krausse and Drummond sold it to a larger corporation. Following his baseball career, he became an avid golfer. He lived in rural Holt, Missouri, and enjoyed travelling to Las Vegas and Churchill Downs.[70] He died of cancer on February 16, 2021, at the age of 77.[69]
See also
References
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Skelton, David E. "Lew Krausse". SABR. Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ "Lew Krausse Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021. (Lew Sr.)
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- ^ "Baseball". Welcome to the Home of the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- Dark, Alvin; Underwood, John (1980). When in Doubt, Fire the Manager: My Life and Times in Baseball. New York: E. P. Dutton. ISBN 0-525-23264-8.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet or SABR BioProject or Venezuelan Professional Baseball League