William Culp Krueger (born April 24, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played from to for eight teams. He pitched for the Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners (twice), Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, and San Diego Padres.
Early career
After graduating from McMinnville High School in 1975, McMinnville, Oregon, Krueger began classes at the University of Portland on a basketball scholarship, where he was a four year starter and shared the backcourt with Darwin Cook who played 8 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Teaming with All-Americans Darwin Cook, Rick Raivio and Jose Slaughter, the Pilots averaged 18 wins a season his last 3 years there and beat two teams that ranked #1 in the country (San Francisco in 1978 and Oregon State in 1979). Bill, a three year captain, received the Thomas A. Fagan Award after his senior year. He began playing 1st base for the Pilots' baseball team in his sophomore year in 1977. A 3 year starter for the Pilots, Krueger was the team's most valuable player in 1977-78. In 1979-80, the Pilots set a school record for wins in a season. Six players were drafted off of that team including Ken Dayley, the #3 player selected in the 1980 MLB draft. Dayley had a successful big league career and was a key bullpen member of the St. Louis Cardinals World Series Championship team in 1985. In 1980, Krueger was signed by the Oakland Athletics on July 12 as an undrafted amateur free agent and assigned to the Medford A's of the short-season single-A Northwest League despite only pitching 4 innings in college. Although he went winless for Medford in seven starts that year, he struck out 48 batters, recorded a complete game, and a save. He 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. In 1982, Bill had a breakout season in West Haven, going 15-9 with a 2.83 earned run average with 167 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched. The West Haven club won the Eastern League Championship and Krueger made the AA All-Star Team.
Professional career
Krueger made his major league debut on April 10, , as the A's starter for the sixth game of the season. Facing the California Angels, Krueger pitched 7 innings and gave up 4 runs in the Oakland Coliseum. Although Angels Brian Downing 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, before an elbow injury ended his season. Before being traded to the Dodgers midway through the season, Bill posted a 27-31 record with a 4.69 earned run average.
Bill saw action in only 3 games in two seasons for the Dodgers, and spent the majority of the 1987 and 1988 seasons with the Albuquerque Dukes, the Dodgers Triple A affiliate. Bill pitched a no-hitter for the Dukes in 1987 versus the Phoenix Firebirds and helped the Dukes win the Pacific Coast League Championship. In 1988, he had his best season as a pro, going 15-5 and leading the Pacific Coast League in wins, earned run average, and shutouts. He also had success at the plate, hitting .285 with 2 HR's and 6 RBI's in limited at bats. Bill was traded again to the Pittsburgh Pirates in late 1988. The Pirates released him during spring training of 1989, and Bill then signed with the Milwaukee Brewers 10 days later. He played in Milwaukee for only two seasons, performing well as both a starter and a reliever. He strung together straight scoreless innings during the 1989 season. Krueger 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 earned run average (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. Bill also was named the American League Pitcher of the Month in July 1991.