Win-Loss Record 5-1 Role Baseball athlete Name Lew Sr. | ERA 4.50 Strikeouts 17 | |
Died September 6, 1988, Sarasota, Florida, United States | ||
Lewis Bernard Krausse (June 12, 1912 – September 6, 1988) was an American pitcher and scout in Major League Baseball from Media, Pennsylvania. He pitched in parts of the 1931 and 1932 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics. When he was called up to the Athletics in 1931, he was the American League's youngest player.
Krausse was used mostly as a relief pitcher by the Athletics, with four of his 23 appearances being starts. He compiled a lifetime record of 5–1.
Krausse's most memorable start was on July 10, 1932, at Cleveland's League Park. Athletics manager Connie Mack, with the team coming off three straight home doubleheaders and playing a single game series in Cleveland (necessitated by Pennsylvania's blue laws prohibiting Sunday baseball) before returning home for another doubleheader, wished to save both trainfare and the arms of his pitchers, and brought only two pitchers with him—Krausse and veteran Eddie Rommel—both pitchers little used by the Athletics. Krausse was knocked out after one inning, surrendering three runs. Rommel pitched 17 innings in relief of Krausse, winning 18–17 in 18 innings.
Krausse never returned to the Major Leagues after 1932. Despite that, Krausse's rights were acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers, who traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938 for third baseman/outfielder Jimmy Outlaw plus cash. Krausse never played for either team, although he pitched in minor league baseball as late as 1946.
Krausse later was a manager in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system, then became a scout for the Kansas City A's, and signed his own son to a $125,000 bonus contract. Lew Krausse, Jr., was a pitcher from 1961 to 1974, and won 68 games in the big leagues hurling for five different teams. The elder Krausse died at the age of 76 in Sarasota, Florida.