New Environment Hasn't Been a Problem for Kevin Krause
Getting drafted can be hectic for a baseball player, to say the least. Often times, a player begins his professional career just days after getting that long awaited call from a team. That is what happened to Jammers catcher, Kevin Krause. Krause was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 9th round of the 2014 Draft out of SUNY Stony Brook. Just days after being drafted, Kevin arrived in Jamestown, excited to begin his professional career. Jamestown was a new environment for Kevin, who was born and raised in Staten Island. Ironically, Krause saw a very familiar face when he arrived at Diethrick Park, and that was Jammers manager, Brian Esposito.
"Knowing Brian previously really allowed for an easy transition. I worked with him in high school, and he helped me with some catching and offensive stuff. Honestly, when I got here, I didn't really know what to expect when it came to him handling his business on the field, but it was really nice to see a familiar face," Krause said when I got the chance to catch up with him.
In a whirlwind of a first professional season, Krause got the chance to do something a lot of baseball players don't get to do, and that's revisit his hometown as a professional baseball player, when the Jammers squared off against the Staten Island Yankees July 19th-21st.
"It was amazing having having the opportunity to go back there, and see a lot of family and friends that have always supported me. I used to go to a lot of Staten Island Yankee games, and watch guys like Robinson Cano play, and to play there, that was simply just a dream come true. It was a special moment for me."
Krause has gotten off to a great start this season. As of August 3rd, he leads the Jammers in home runs (7), RBIs (29), and is also hitting .270 in 32 games. He even hit a walk-off home run Saturday, July 26th against the Batavia Muckdogs, in what was arguably the Jammers best win to this point in the season. Krause hit the home run in the bottom of the 10th inning, on a 3-0 count.
"I looked down after the count became 3-0, and saw Brian (Esposito) give me the green light, and I was a little surprised. In that situation, I was just looking for something I could handle in the middle of the plate, and fortunately I got it. It was one of the best baseball moment's of my life."
As the season goes on for the Jammers, look for Krause to continue to be a force in the Jamestown lineup. A solid catcher behind the plate, with a great amount of power is a huge asset for any team. And for Krause, his approach the rest of the season is simple.
"I just want to keep trying to see the ball, and put some good healthy hacks on balls that I can handle. Fortunately, that has happened for me so far this season, and hopefully that continues."