Mel Krause
Encyclopedia
Mel Krause was an American
college baseball
coach and player at the University of Oregon
. He also played professional baseball in the Northwest League
. Krause also played college basketball for Oregon and coached two different high school basketball teams to Oregon state basketball championships. Prior to its planned reinstatement in 2009, Krause was the last Ducks baseball coach when the university canceled the sport in 1981.
. He attended Commerce High School (now Cleveland High School
) where he played football, basketball, and baseball and was named to All-City teams in all three sports.
After graduating from high school, Kirsch attended the University of Oregon
, where he played baseball and basketball. He pursued a professional baseball career, playing in the minor-league Northwest League
for the Salem Senators from 1954 to 1956 and the Eugene Emeralds
from 1957 to 1961.
in Milwaukie, Oregon
. He coached two high school basketball teams to the Oregon state basketball championship: Franklin High School in 1956 and North Eugene High School
in 1963. He also coached Sheldon High School's baseball team to a State runner-up finish in 1966.
In 1970, Krause was named head baseball coach at Oregon, replacing his former coach Don Kirsch
. In 11 seasons, Krause's teams won two Pacific 8 Conference Northern Division championships (1972 and 1974). In 1981, due to budgetary concerns, the university dropped its baseball program along with several other sports. Krause returned to high school coaching, ending his coaching career at Newberg High School
in 1992. Following his coaching career, he worked as a baseball scout
for the San Francisco Giants
, Philadelphia Phillies
and Los Angeles Dodgers
.
and given two to six months to live. Shortly before his diagnosis, the University of Oregon announced that they would be reinstating baseball for the 2009 season, and subsequently built a new baseball stadium, PK Park, with the main entrance named for Krause.
Krause died of the disease at his Wilsonville, Oregon
home on June 13, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Jan, and four children.
Sports Hall of Fame, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
, and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
coach and player at the University of Oregon
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
. He also played professional baseball in the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
. Krause also played college basketball for Oregon and coached two different high school basketball teams to Oregon state basketball championships. Prior to its planned reinstatement in 2009, Krause was the last Ducks baseball coach when the university canceled the sport in 1981.
Early life and playing career
Krause grew up in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He attended Commerce High School (now Cleveland High School
Cleveland High School (Oregon)
Cleveland High School is a public high school in inner southeast Portland, Oregon, United States.This school is one of Portland's two high schools with the International Baccalaureate program...
) where he played football, basketball, and baseball and was named to All-City teams in all three sports.
After graduating from high school, Kirsch attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he played baseball and basketball. He pursued a professional baseball career, playing in the minor-league Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
for the Salem Senators from 1954 to 1956 and the Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
from 1957 to 1961.
Coaching career
Following his graduation from Oregon, Krause began coaching high school sports in 1952 at Milwaukie High SchoolMilwaukie High School
Milwaukie High School is a public high school located in Milwaukie, Oregon, United States. It is one of three high schools within the North Clackamas School District. The school mascot is the mustang, and its school colors are maroon and gold.- History :...
in Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
. He coached two high school basketball teams to the Oregon state basketball championship: Franklin High School in 1956 and North Eugene High School
North Eugene High School
North Eugene High School is a public high school in the Santa Clara neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon, United States.-History:North Eugene High School was open to students on October 21, 1957...
in 1963. He also coached Sheldon High School's baseball team to a State runner-up finish in 1966.
In 1970, Krause was named head baseball coach at Oregon, replacing his former coach Don Kirsch
Don Kirsch
Donald Kirsch was a college baseball coach at the University of Oregon for 23 years.-Early life and playing career:...
. In 11 seasons, Krause's teams won two Pacific 8 Conference Northern Division championships (1972 and 1974). In 1981, due to budgetary concerns, the university dropped its baseball program along with several other sports. Krause returned to high school coaching, ending his coaching career at Newberg High School
Newberg High School
Newberg High School is the only public high school in Newberg, Oregon, United States.-History:The school was remodeled in 2006, adding a second story, with four classrooms, a larger cafeteria, and a new auditorium.-Academics:...
in 1992. Following his coaching career, he worked as a baseball scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and 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...
.
Illness and death
In November 2007, Krause was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
and given two to six months to live. Shortly before his diagnosis, the University of Oregon announced that they would be reinstating baseball for the 2009 season, and subsequently built a new baseball stadium, PK Park, with the main entrance named for Krause.
Krause died of the disease at his Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
home on June 13, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Jan, and four children.
Legacy
Krause is a member of the Portland Interscholastic LeaguePortland Interscholastic League
The Portland Interscholastic League is a high school athletic conference in Portland, Oregon that is a member of the Oregon School Activities Association . It consists of high schools in the Portland Public Schools district...
Sports Hall of Fame, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
, and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame.