Bill Krueger
Encyclopedia
William Culp Krueger is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played from -. Krueger would play for the Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers
, Milwaukee Brewers
, Seattle Mariners
, Minnesota Twins
, Montreal Expos
, Detroit Tigers
, and San Diego Padres
.
on a basketball scholarship. He began pitching for the Portland Pilots in his junior year. On July 12, 1980, he was signed by the Oakland Athletics
as an undrafted amateur free agent and assigned to the now-defunct A- farm team Medford A's. Although he went winless for Medford in 7 starts that year, he did strike out 48 batters, recorded a complete game and a save. Krueger continued to make his way through the A's minor league system for the next two years, being called up to Double-A West Haven in 1981.
singled against him to lead off the game, Krueger got veteran right fielder Juan Beníquez
to hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Bill went 7-6 in 16 starts for the A's in 1983, and spent the next 3 years bouncing from the A's to Triple-A Tacoma
to Single-A Madison
. During his five major league stints in Oakland (and before being traded to the Dodgers
midway through the season, Bill posted a 27-31 record with a 5.69 ERA.
Bill saw action in only 3 games in two seasons for the Dodgers, and was traded again to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in late 1988. The Pirates released him during spring training 6 months afterward, and Bill signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
10 days later. He played in Milwaukee for only two seasons, and was signed as a free agent by the Seattle Mariners
after the end of the season.
Krueger enjoyed what was arguably one of the best statistical years of his professional career in the Mariners rotation that year by reaching new personal bests in wins (11), strikeouts (91), and ERA (3.60). Bill also pitched in a June 7 showdown with his former Brewers ballclub, pitching over six innings while allowing only one run and striking out 6.
Over the last 4 seasons of his career, Bill Krueger played for five different teams in the National
and American
leagues. After winning ten games for the Minnesota Twins
during the season, Krueger was traded to Montreal
, where he spent 60 days before free agency whisked him to Detroit to play for the Tigers
. He again set a new season-low in ERA (3.40) while appearing in 32 games. After being released from the Tigers mid-season in (most likely due to his 21 earned runs allowed in 16 appearances), Krueger tried to revive his career in San Diego
, but was released mid-season and signed with the Mariners
again in .
Bill Krueger won his last game as a major leaguer on August 6 in the same place he started his career; the Oakland Coliseum. Against the A's that day, the 37-year old pitched over 5 innings and allowed only one run on 10 hits. He was kept off Seattle's '95 postseason roster and retired from pro baseball after the World Series
.
, covering the Seattle Mariners. He was joined at the network by former Mariners teammate Mike Blowers
in 2007.
With his wife Jo, Bill is a past Co-President of the Cure Autism Now Northwest chapter, now merged with Autism Speaks
. Bill and Jo Krueger have publicly told the story of curing their daughter of autism.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played from -. Krueger would play for the Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, and San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Early career
After graduating from McMinnville High School in McMinnville, OR, Bill Krueger began classes at the University of PortlandUniversity of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
on a basketball scholarship. He began pitching for the Portland Pilots in his junior year. On July 12, 1980, he was signed by the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
as an undrafted amateur free agent and assigned to the now-defunct A- farm team Medford A's. Although he went winless for Medford in 7 starts that year, he did strike out 48 batters, recorded a complete game and a save. Krueger continued to make his way through the A's minor league system for the next two years, being called up to Double-A West Haven in 1981.
Professional career
Krueger made his major league debut on April 10, , as the A's starter for the 6th game of the season. Facing the California Angels, Krueger pitched 7 innings and gave up 4 runs in the Oakland Coliseum. Although Angels speedster Brian DowningBrian Downing
Brian Jay Downing is a former professional baseball player who had a 20-year MLB career with the Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Texas Rangers.- Chicago Years :...
singled against him to lead off the game, Krueger got veteran right fielder Juan Beníquez
Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays...
to hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Bill went 7-6 in 16 starts for the A's in 1983, and spent the next 3 years bouncing from the A's to Triple-A Tacoma
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
to Single-A Madison
Madison Muskies
The Madison Muskies were a Class A minor league baseball team that played in the Midwest League from 1982 to 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin. They were an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics...
. During his five major league stints in Oakland (and before being traded to the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
midway through the season, Bill posted a 27-31 record with a 5.69 ERA.
Bill saw action in only 3 games in two seasons for the Dodgers, and was traded again to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in late 1988. The Pirates released him during spring training 6 months afterward, and Bill signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
10 days later. He played in Milwaukee for only two seasons, and was signed as a free agent by the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
after the end of the season.
Krueger enjoyed what was arguably one of the best statistical years of his professional career in the Mariners rotation that year by reaching new personal bests in wins (11), strikeouts (91), and ERA (3.60). Bill also pitched in a June 7 showdown with his former Brewers ballclub, pitching over six innings while allowing only one run and striking out 6.
Over the last 4 seasons of his career, Bill Krueger played for five different teams in the National
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
leagues. After winning ten games for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
during the season, Krueger was traded to Montreal
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, where he spent 60 days before free agency whisked him to Detroit to play for the Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. He again set a new season-low in ERA (3.40) while appearing in 32 games. After being released from the Tigers mid-season in (most likely due to his 21 earned runs allowed in 16 appearances), Krueger tried to revive his career in San Diego
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, but was released mid-season and signed with the Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
again in .
Bill Krueger won his last game as a major leaguer on August 6 in the same place he started his career; the Oakland Coliseum. Against the A's that day, the 37-year old pitched over 5 innings and allowed only one run on 10 hits. He was kept off Seattle's '95 postseason roster and retired from pro baseball after the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
.
Post-retirement
Bill Krueger is employed by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as a financial advisor in Bellevue, Washington. http://www.morganstanleyindividual.com/customerservice/fahomepage/default.asp?FA=/fa/pacificwealthmanagement. He is also the senior baseball analyst for FSN NorthwestFSN Northwest
Root Sports Northwest is a United States regional sports network available in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska...
, covering the Seattle Mariners. He was joined at the network by former Mariners teammate Mike Blowers
Mike Blowers
Michael Roy Blowers is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and first baseman. He is an alumnus of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington, Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington...
in 2007.
With his wife Jo, Bill is a past Co-President of the Cure Autism Now Northwest chapter, now merged with Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
. Bill and Jo Krueger have publicly told the story of curing their daughter of autism.