Bill Krueger

Infobox MLB retired
name = Bill Krueger
bgcolor1 =
textcolor1 =
bgcolor2 =
textcolor2 =


width =
caption =
position = Pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1958|4|24
deathdate =
bats =Left
throws = Left
debutdate =April 10
debutyear =1983
debutteam =Oakland Athletics
finaldate =August 13
finalyear =1995
finalteam =Seattle Mariners
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value =68-66
stat2label =ERA
stat2value =4.35
stat3label =Strikeouts
stat3value =639
teams =
*Oakland Athletics (by|1983-by|1987)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1987-by|1988)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|1989-by|1990)
*Seattle Mariners (by|1991, by|1995)
*Minnesota Twins (by|1992)
*Montreal Expos (by|1992)
*Detroit Tigers (by|1993-by|1994)
*San Diego Padres (by|1994-by|1995)

William Culp Krueger (born April 24, 1958 in Waukegan, Illinois), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from by|1983-by|1995. 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.

Early career

After graduating from McMinnville High School in McMinnville, OR, Bill Krueger began classes at the University of Portland on a basketball scholarship. He began pitching for the Portland Pilots in his junior year. On July 12th, 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.

Professional career

Krueger made his major league debut on April 10th, by|1983 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 Downing singled against him to lead off the game, Krueger got veteran right fielder Juan Beniquez 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 by|1987 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 by|1990 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 7th 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 by|1992 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 by|1994 (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 by|1995.

Bill Krueger won his last game as a major leaguer on August 6th 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.

Post-retirement

Bill Krueger is now the senior baseball analyst for FSN Northwest, covering the Seattle Mariners. He was joined at the network by former Mariners teammate Mike Blowers in 2007. He is also Co-President of the Cure Autism Now Northwest chapter with his wife Jo.

ources

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/kruegbi01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Bill_Krueger_1958 Baseball Library]
* [http://msn.foxsports.com/id/1531075 FOX Sports Northwest Bio]
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/bill-krueger.shtml Baseball Cube Profile]
* [http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Krueger_Bill_19590545.aspx ZoomInfo Business Profile]
* [http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/can_archive/seattle_local_autism_heroes.php Autism Speaks Page]