1. Overview
Lewis Bernard Krausse Jr. (April 25, 1943 - February 16, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Atlanta Braves from 1961 to 1974. A right-handed batter and pitcher, he primarily served as a starting pitcher. Once a highly-touted prospect, Krausse had to overcome significant arm trouble early in his career and spent much of his professional life playing for teams that provided low run support.
Krausse was the son of Lew Krausse Sr., a former Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who later became a scout for the organization after its relocation to Kansas City. Following his high school graduation in 1961, Krausse Jr. signed a contract with the Kansas City Athletics for 125.00 K USD. Just over a week later, on June 16, he made his MLB debut and pitched a shutout in his first start. Despite this promising beginning, arm issues threatened his career, and it was not until 1966 that he established himself as a regular in the major leagues, achieving a career-best 14 wins that season with the Athletics. In 1967, a notable disagreement with team owner Charlie Finley led to managerial changes and player releases, impacting Krausse's season. In 1968, he started the first game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum after the Athletics moved to California. Two years later, he pitched in the inaugural game for the newly formed Milwaukee Brewers and recorded the team's first shutout in the same year. After his stints with the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Braves, Krausse spent one more year in the minor leagues before retiring in 1975. Following his baseball career, he became involved in a metal business in the Kansas City area, which he co-owned from 1983 to 1997.
2. Early life and background
2.1. Birth and upbringing
Krausse was born in Media, Pennsylvania, on April 25, 1943. He attended Chester High School in Pennsylvania, graduating in 1961.
2.2. Family background
His father, Lew Krausse Sr., was also a professional baseball pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1931 to 1932. After the Athletics organization relocated to Kansas City, Krausse Sr. became a scout for the team in 1957. This familial connection to professional baseball significantly influenced Krausse Jr.'s early path.
2.3. Education and amateur career
While playing in amateur baseball, Krausse Jr. achieved a remarkable record of 18 no-hitters, drawing considerable interest from several professional baseball teams across the country. On June 8, 1961, just hours after graduating from high school, he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Kansas City Athletics. The contract included a 125.00 K USD bonus and a guarantee that the young pitcher would have the opportunity to pitch in the major leagues that very season.
3. Professional baseball career
Krausse's professional baseball career spanned 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, followed by a final year in the minor leagues before his retirement.
3.1. Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (1961-1969)
Krausse began his major league career with the Kansas City Athletics, experiencing both early success and significant challenges, including arm injuries and a notable conflict with the team owner, before the team's relocation to Oakland.
3.1.1. Debut and early season (1961)
Just over a week after signing his professional contract, at the age of 18, Krausse made his major league debut on June 16, 1961. He started a game against the expansion Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. In his debut, he pitched a three-hit shutout, leading Kansas City to a 4-0 victory over Los Angeles. Krausse was the youngest player in Major League Baseball that season. Despite the Athletics being on track to lose 100 games, Krausse's debut generated significant fan interest and boosted attendance. Team owner Charlie Finley later recalled, "We packed the park the first four times [Lew] pitched for us and probably got our money back."
However, Krausse's subsequent starts for Kansas City were less successful, partly due to issues with walking too many batters. After his shutout debut, he lost five consecutive starts. He did not secure another win until his final outing of the year on September 17, when he held the Washington Senators to two runs in a complete game, resulting in a 3-2 victory. In his rookie season, Krausse appeared in 12 games (eight starts), compiling a 2-5 record with a 4.85 earned run average (ERA). He recorded 32 strikeouts, 46 walks, and allowed 49 hits allowed in 55 2/3 innings pitched.
3.1.2. Minor leagues and arm trouble (1962-1965)
In 1962, Krausse was assigned to the Binghamton Triplets of the Class A Eastern League. In his first start on April 25 against the Elmira Pioneers, he struck out 16 batters in a 4-3 victory. However, he was plagued by a sore right elbow for most of the season, which led the team to shut him down in July, with two months remaining in the minor league season. In 12 starts, he finished with a 6-4 record, a 3.81 ERA, 78 strikeouts, 38 walks, and 73 hits allowed in 78 innings. That November, Krausse had his elbow examined at the Mayo Clinic, as there was uncertainty about whether he would be able to pitch again. He underwent offseason surgery but successfully returned to pitching in 1963.
For the 1963 season, Krausse was assigned to the Class AAA Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He struggled during the first half of the season but demonstrated significantly improved command of his pitches in the second half. In 28 games (27 starts), he recorded a 13-12 record, a 4.22 ERA, 115 strikeouts, 87 walks, and 180 hits allowed in 177 innings. His 13 wins were the most for the Beavers that season.
Krausse began the 1964 season with the Athletics, but his first appearance did not come until two weeks into the season. On April 26, he allowed three runs and failed to get out of the first inning, taking the loss in a 7-4 defeat to the Senators. The following day, he was sent back to Class AAA to play for Kansas City's new affiliate, the PCL's Dallas Rangers. In 31 games (27 starts) for Dallas, he posted a 7-19 record, a 3.94 ERA, 135 strikeouts, 74 walks, and 201 hits allowed in 192 innings pitched. His 19 losses led the PCL, though this was partly attributed to the low run support from the Dallas hitters, as the Rangers were the lowest-scoring team in the league. Sportswriter Bob Franklin humorously noted that "The Texans at times couldn't have bought a run if Billy Sol Estes was the plate umpire." Krausse rejoined the Athletics in September, making four more appearances before the end of the year. In these five games (four starts) with Kansas City, he had an 0-2 record, a 7.36 ERA, nine strikeouts, nine walks, and allowed 22 hits in 14 2/3 innings.
Before the 1965 season, the Athletics used their final option on Krausse, sending him to the PCL's Vancouver Mounties. In 23 starts for Vancouver, he compiled a 12-7 record, a 3.22 ERA, 116 strikeouts, 46 walks, and 153 hits allowed in 162 innings. Kansas City recalled him on August 14, and he started for them on August 17, allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings and earning a victory in a 3-2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians. On September 3, in the second game of a doubleheader, he held the California Angels scoreless for 7 1/3 innings in a 1-0 victory. In seven games (five starts) with the Athletics that year, he had a 2-4 record, a 5.04 ERA, 22 strikeouts, eight walks, and allowed 29 hits in 25 innings. After the season, he played winter ball for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, where he set a league record by striking out 21 players in a single game. Impressed by his performance, Athletics general manager Eddie Lopat commented, "He has shown a lot more maturity... [and] has a chance to be an outstanding pitcher."
3.1.3. Career high in wins (1966)
During 1966 spring training, Athletics manager Alvin Dark encouraged Krausse to throw his changeup when a batter had more balls than strikes, an approach Krausse credited with improving his confidence in the pitch. He began the season as a relief pitcher. On May 27, he became the victim of a practical joke by former teammate Moe Drabowsky, who was then pitching for the Baltimore Orioles. Drabowsky telephoned the bullpen at Municipal Stadium, imitating Dark's voice, and ordered Krausse to warm up, then sit down again. It wasn't until the third call that someone recognized Drabowsky's voice. Drabowsky later remarked, "You should've seen them scramble, trying to get Lew Krausse warmed up in a hurry. It was really funny." Through June 11, Krausse recorded three saves in five opportunities and posted a 3.07 ERA in 14 games.
When Rollie Sheldon was traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 13, Krausse took his spot in the starting rotation. Two days later, in his first start of the year, Krausse held the Chicago White Sox to three runs over seven innings, earning the victory in a 5-4 triumph. Four days after that, he held the Angels to six hits and no runs in a complete game, 1-0 victory. Krausse won five of his first six starts as a starter, posting a 2.56 ERA during that span.
On August 19, facing the New York Yankees in the second start of a doubleheader, Krausse held them scoreless for eight innings, earning the win in a 1-0 victory. On September 2, he held the Red Sox to one unearned run in a complete game, 5-1 victory. On September 16, he was pitching a scoreless game against the Senators when a transformer fire at D. C. Stadium caused half the lights to go out, suspending the game for two days. Resuming his spot on the mound on Sunday, Krausse left after 7 1/3 scoreless innings, earning the win in the 1-0 triumph. In 36 games (22 starts) that season, Krausse achieved a 14-9 record with a 2.99 ERA. This marked a career high in wins for him, despite pitching for one of the poorest offenses in the American League (AL). His 14 victories were tied for sixth-best in the AL, and his 2.99 ERA ranked ninth. He recorded 87 strikeouts, 63 walks, and allowed 144 hits in 177 2/3 innings.
3.1.4. Disagreement with Finley (1967)
Krausse had a challenging year in 1967, partly due to personal problems. 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. During the season, Krausse's mother suffered a fatal heart attack. On July 7, Krausse was allegedly involved in an incident where a .38 caliber pistol was fired from Kansas City's Bellerive Hotel into an empty office in the Phillips Petroleum building; however, the police never filed charges due to insufficient evidence.
On August 18, owner Charlie Finley fined Krausse 500 USD and suspended him for his behavior on a team flight. Manager Alvin Dark, after speaking with other players, believed 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. In a seven-hour meeting, Finley initially fired Dark, then decided to rehire him, only to fire him again after being presented with a player's statement that backed Dark and criticized Finley's use of spies to monitor players. Finley also released first baseman Ken Harrelson, who had defended Krausse, prompting Harrelson to label Finley "a menace to the sport."
The suspension was quickly lifted, and Krausse returned to pitching for the Athletics on August 23. He initially stated that the suspension had been justified, but later claimed that Finley had intimidated him into voicing his support for the suspension. Marvin Miller, director of the Players' Association, lodged a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, but it was withdrawn when the Athletics agreed to cancel Krausse's suspension. However, Krausse was still forced to pay the fine. Following these events, Krausse, along with fellow pitchers Jack Aker and Jim Nash, demanded a trade. Despite this, Krausse remained with the Athletics for two more seasons. In a career-high 48 games (19 starts) that year, he compiled a 7-17 record with six saves, a 4.28 ERA, 96 strikeouts, 67 walks, and allowed 140 hits in 160 innings pitched. His 17 losses tied with teammates Catfish Hunter and Jim Nash for third-most in the AL, behind George Brunet's 19 and Steve Barber's 18.
3.1.5. Oakland debut and seasons (1968-1969)
Despite his disagreements with Finley, Krausse was the first Athletic to sign his 1968 contract in January. He stated that his offseason job as a dockworker in Chester influenced his decision, making him "realize how good a life baseball is. ... [i]t gave me a different outlook." Former teammate Bill Stafford taught him a slider, which Krausse began incorporating into his repertoire that year. He started the year in the starting rotation. The Athletics had relocated to Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, and Krausse started the first game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on April 17, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings and taking the loss in a 4-1 defeat to the Orioles. He lost six of his first seven starts and had a 2-7 record through June 16, but then won four straight decisions through July 13. After July, he was moved to the bullpen as the Athletics transitioned from a five-man to a four-man rotation. Krausse initially expressed anger about the demotion but cheered up after winning three of his first five relief appearances and saving the other two. Beginning August 23, he was primarily used as a starter for the remainder of the season. In 36 games (25 starts), he finished with a 10-11 record, four saves, a 3.11 ERA, 105 strikeouts, 62 walks, and allowed 147 hits in 185 innings.
In 1969, Krausse became the team's closer, as the team sought to give prospect Rollie Fingers a spot in the starting rotation. Krausse's spring training was interrupted when his father suffered a non-fatal heart attack. Because the Athletics' starters threw several complete games early in the year, Krausse was seldom used. He requested a trade in June, stating, "I want to be traded. I could be a starter for any other team in the league. Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boston - these are the teams I'd like to go to." Through June, he had a 1-3 record and a 5.59 ERA in 23 games.
Krausse returned to the starting rotation in July when Nash was moved to the bullpen to regain his strength after experiencing arm trouble. After going 1-1 in his first two starts, he won four consecutive starts, beginning with a shutout of the Angels on July 11. He threw another shutout on August 15, holding the Detroit Tigers to four hits in a 4-0 victory. However, Krausse did not win any more games that season and was moved back to the bullpen in mid-September. In 43 games (16 starts), he finished with a 7-7 record, a career-high seven saves, a 4.44 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 48 walks, and allowed 134 hits in 140 innings. Offensively, he hit four home runs during the season.
3.2. Milwaukee Brewers (1970-1971)
On January 15, 1970, Krausse was traded to the Seattle Pilots along with Ken Sanders, Phil Roof, and Mike Hershberger in exchange for Don Mincher and Ron Clark. He initially threatened not to report but 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, Krausse 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. On July 7, he pitched the first shutout in Brewers' history, defeating the White Sox 1-0. This shutout was part of a six-game winning streak Krausse recorded from June 25 through July 24, improving his record to 10-10. However, he went 3-8 for the remainder of the season. Low run support continued to be an issue for Krausse, as the Brewers scored only 613 runs, just two runs shy of being the lowest total in the AL. He set career highs in several categories, including games started (35), innings pitched (216), and strikeouts (130). However, his 18 losses were second only to Mickey Lolich's 19 in the AL. Krausse's ERA for the season was 4.75.
Krausse began 1971 as the number two starter in the Brewers' rotation, behind Marty Pattin. 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. With only a 2-8 record by June, Krausse expressed frustration, stating, "I'm sick and tired of this. I can't take pitching like this any longer getting no runs." He even threatened retirement and claimed that he and his fellow Brewers starters would have more wins than the pitchers for the Orioles if they were members of the eventual World Series champions. 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. On September 11, he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits, and earned the win in a 3-0 triumph over the Angels. In 43 games (22 starts) that year, he had an 8-12 record, a career-best 2.94 ERA, 92 strikeouts, 62 walks, and allowed 164 hits in 180 1/3 innings.
3.3. Boston Red Sox (1972)
Ten days after the 1971 season ended, on October 10, Krausse was part of a major ten-player trade that sent him, Pattin, Tommy Harper, and minor-league outfielder Pat Skrable from the Brewers to the Red Sox. In return, Boston sent George Scott, Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Billy Conigliaro, Joe Lahoud, and Don Pavletich to Milwaukee. Krausse expressed excitement about joining his new team, noting, "This is the first time I've been with a contender. It's easily the best shot I've ever had at a pennant."
Still vying for 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. He continued making starts after that but lost his only three decisions and posted a 4.81 ERA through June 2, after which he was moved to the bullpen. After August 20, despite remaining on the roster with 42 games left in the season, he was not used at all. In 24 games (seven starts) for the Red Sox, he had a 1-3 record, a 6.38 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 28 walks, and allowed 74 hits in 60 2/3 innings.
3.4. St. Louis Cardinals (1973)
The Red Sox released Krausse towards the end of 1973 spring training, on March 27. Four days later, he was re-signed by the Athletics, but only to a minor league contract. He spent most of the season with the PCL's Tucson Toros, where he posted a 6-4 record, 12 saves, a 2.49 ERA, 54 strikeouts, 43 walks, and allowed 110 hits in 105 innings over 45 games (three starts). The St. Louis Cardinals purchased his contract on September 1 when rosters expanded, but he made only one appearance for them. After the season, the Cardinals released him.
3.5. Atlanta Braves (1974)
On December 17, 1973, the Atlanta Braves signed Krausse. Failing to make their roster out of spring training, his contract was sold to the Athletics again on April 11. After he posted a 1.08 ERA in 11 games with Tucson, the Braves repurchased his contract on May 16, adding him to their bullpen when Ron Reed went on the disabled list with a broken finger. Krausse won his first outing with the Braves, pitching scoreless 10th and 11th innings in a 5-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 17. His longest relief outings of the year came in back-to-back 4 1/3-inning appearances on July 12 and 20. In the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on August 23, he started and allowed one hit in six innings, earning the victory in a 6-0 triumph. He played his final game of the season on September 23, allowing two runs in 1/3 of an inning during a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. In 29 games (four starts) for the Braves, he had a 4-3 record, a 4.19 ERA, 27 strikeouts, 32 walks, and allowed 65 hits in 66 2/3 innings. The Braves released him on December 16.
3.6. Retirement and final season (1975)
In 1975, Krausse returned to Tucson with the Athletics organization. Making 44 appearances (four starts), he compiled an 8-4 record but had a 5.40 ERA, which was about a run worse than the PCL average. Following the season, he retired from professional baseball.
4. Pitching style and career statistics
Krausse pitched in a total of 321 games in his MLB career, with 167 of those as a starting pitcher. His career win-loss record was 68-91, and he pitched a total of 1,284 innings. During his career, he allowed 1,205 hits, recorded 721 strikeouts, and issued 493 walks. His career ERA stood at 4.00.
Originally a fastball-curveball pitcher, Krausse expanded his repertoire by adding a changeup and a slider as his career progressed. In 1966, manager Alvin Dark praised Krausse, stating, "His curve is exceptional. He reminds me a lot of Carl Erskine." Both Dark and Cot Deal, the Athletics' pitching coach, played a role in helping Krausse develop his changeup in the same year.
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | W | L | ERA | IP | H | HR | BB | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | KC | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4.85 | 55.2 | 49 | 3 | 46 | 32 | 1.707 |
| 1964 | KC | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7.36 | 14.2 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 2.114 |
| 1965 | KC | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5.04 | 25.0 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 1.480 |
| 1966 | KC | 36 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 2.99 | 177.2 | 144 | 8 | 63 | 87 | 1.165 |
| 1967 | KC | 48 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 4.28 | 160.0 | 140 | 17 | 67 | 96 | 1.294 |
| 1968 | OAK | 36 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 3.11 | 185.0 | 147 | 16 | 62 | 105 | 1.130 |
| 1969 | OAK | 43 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4.44 | 140.0 | 134 | 23 | 48 | 85 | 1.300 |
| 1970 | MIL | 37 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 18 | 4.75 | 216.0 | 235 | 33 | 67 | 130 | 1.398 |
| 1971 | MIL | 43 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 2.94 | 180.1 | 164 | 23 | 62 | 92 | 1.253 |
| 1972 | BOS | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6.38 | 60.2 | 74 | 9 | 28 | 35 | 1.681 |
| 1973 | STL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.500 |
| 1974 | ATL | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4.19 | 66.2 | 65 | 3 | 32 | 27 | 1.455 |
| Career (12 years) | 321 | 167 | 21 | 5 | 21 | 68 | 91 | 4.00 | 1283.2 | 1205 | 137 | 493 | 721 | 1.323 | |
5. Personal life
5.1. Marriage and family
Krausse married Susan Wickersham, a flight attendant, in November 1969. They remained married for the rest of his life. The couple had two sons, Kurt and Chad, who later resided in Kansas City as adults.
5.2. Post-retirement activities
During his offseasons as a player, Krausse held various jobs. He was once employed at a clothing shop in Chester alongside former major leaguers Mickey Vernon and Danny Murtaugh. Other fields he worked in included dock work, real estate, season ticket sales, and hotel public relations. After retiring from baseball, he continued his career in sales. In 1983, Krausse took on a larger role when he partnered with Fred Paulsen and Bill Drummond to establish 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 traveling to Las Vegas and Churchill Downs.
5.3. Awards and honors
Krausse was inducted into the Delaware County Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, joining his father, Lew Krausse Sr., who had been inducted in 1963.
6. Death
Krausse died of cancer on February 16, 2021, at the age of 77.