| Lew Krausse Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 25, 1943 Media, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: February 16, 2021 (aged 77) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
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.[1] (April 25, 1943 – February 16, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 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. He batted and threw right-handed and served primarily as a starting pitcher. Once a highly-touted prospect, he had to overcome arm trouble early in his career and spent most of his career with teams that offered low run support.
Krausse was the son of a former Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who remained with the organization as a scout after it moved to Kansas City. Signed to a $125,000 contract following his graduation from high school in 1961, he pitched a shutout in his first MLB start on June 16 of that year. Arm trouble threatened his career after that, and it was not until 1966 that he became a regular in the major leagues. He won 14 games with the Athletics that year, the most he would ever win in a season. In 1967, he had a bitter disagreement with team owner Charlie Finley concerning the pitcher's activities on a team flight; the rift led to the firing of manager Alvin Dark and the release of first baseman Ken Harrelson. In 1968, he started the first game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum after the Athletics moved to California. Two years later, he started the first game in Milwaukee Brewers history, pitching the team's first shutout in the same year. He pitched for Boston in 1972, St. Louis in 1973, and Atlanta in 1974, then spent a year in the minor leagues before retiring. Following his baseball career, Krausse and partners started a metal business in the Kansas City area, which Krausse remained involved in from 1983 to 1997.