Generational talents

Long-forgotten Philadelphia Athletics right-hander Lew Krausse Sr. shuts out the Boston Red Sox 15-0 in the second game of a doubleheader 93 years ago today at Shibe Park.

Lew Krausse Sr.

Krausse pitches again five days later in the Athletics’ meaningless exhibition game against the minor league Stroudsburg Poconos, and promptly suffers an arm injury that ends his promising major league career at the ripe old age of 20.

Krausse – 5-1 during his brief time in the majors with Philadelphia – spends the next three seasons in the minor leagues with then-Class A Harrisburg Senators, going 26-26 over 79 appearances for the New York-Penn League team.

Exactly a year and a day after shutting out the Red Sox in his final major league game, Krausse throws a no-hitter as Harrisburg beats York 3-0 on Sept. 3, 1933.

He then bounces around the minors for another 10 seasons before leaving the game in 1943.

Krausse tries to make a comeback in 1946 at the age of 34 and goes 11-12 with a 4.29 ERA for the Athletics’ Class D Federalsburg team before retiring again.

This time for good.

His son, Lew Jr., also reaches the major leagues, spending 12 seasons there with most of his time pitching for the Athletics – the Kansas City and then later Oakland Athletics, the same ones who start the franchise in 1901 in Philadelphia.

In his major league debut on June 16, 1961, Junior – then all of 18 years old – shuts out the Los Angeles Angels 4-0, giving father and son a pair of back-to-back shutouts separated by a mere 29 years. 

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