If Kevin Krause took no for an answer, he would have had a much different life.
And a much different graduation week.
Krause is a recent graduate of Father Judge High School and for the past two years, he was a player on the Crusaders baseball team.
Three years ago, he was told he wasn’t good enough to play the game, at least at his former school.
But it wasn’t his ability that was the problem.
“I went to St. Joe’s Prep my first two years and I got cut (from baseball) my sophomore year,” said Krause, who lives in Torresdale. “I actually hurt my back playing football. I can’t point to one thing that hurt my back, it was just a lot of things. I think it happened when I was squatting, but it was just from football, really.
“I was so upset because my back was really hurt. I couldn’t do a lot of things. I think that’s why I was cut, I couldn’t really do a lot of things. That hurt a lot. Football, I gave that up, not just to focus on baseball, but because I don’t want to be hurt later in life. After that, I just focused on baseball.”
After turning his attention to the new sport, transferring to Judge and working his way back to 100 percent health, Krause didn’t just play baseball at Judge. He became one of the best players in the Catholic League and a leader for the Crusaders, who put together a strong Catholic League season.
And for that, he was honored with a shot to play on a field every Philly kid grows up dreaming about stepping foot on.
Krause played left field for the Catholic League Carpenter Cup team that won two games and advanced to the semifinals of the prestigious tournament sponsored by the Philadelphia Phillies.
The final three games of the tournament – both semifinal games and the finals – are played at Citizen’s Bank Park in South Philadelphia.
“I played two games last week, and then I went down the shore (for senior week) and came back to play in the semifinals,” Krause said. “It was so great just stepping on the field. It was great. I’ve been there a lot but never played there. The coolest thing was hearing the sound echo. The crowd wasn’t huge, but it sounded huge. Playing on that field is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was great.”
Krause also did his part.
He had one at-bat, where he singled and stole a base, but it wasn’t enough to get the PCLers into the finals. Burlington County defeated the Catholic League 9-3. Burlco then went on to win the Carpenter Cup Classic by defeating Chester County in the finals.
Representing the Catholic League in the Carpenter Cup was a great experience for Krause. Not only did it let him rep the Crusaders a few more times, it gave him a chance to bond with the guys he beat up on over the past few years.
It was the perfect high school sendoff.
“That was really cool to meet everyone, it was fun to play with all of those guys,” said Krause, who represented Judge along with Will Henderson. “Those kids are so talented, so to be around them, all big baseball guys.
“They were all cool, all talkative, easy to talk to, good guys. Super talented. And it was fun to see guys I’ve been friends with. I’ve known (Ryan pitcher) Jake Marchesano forever and he’s always been one of my friends. It was just good to be around all of them, play with them for a change. I think we all had fun.”
The fun is just getting started for Krause.
Shortly after the final out, Krause headed for Wildwood. He’ll spend all summer down there lounging on the beach, hanging out with his Judge guy friends and working at Acme.
After summer, he has big plans, too. He’s bound for Holy Family where he’ll continue his baseball career.
“It’s two minutes from my house, it’s a great university, academic wise and I’m going to play baseball there,” said Krause, who will go in undecided but could major in accounting or marketing. “It’s a new, up-and-coming baseball program, and they have some really good players. I’m looking forward to going there and seeing what happens.”
The Tigers will have a big gap to fill in his life.
Playing for the Crusaders really left a lasting impression.
“I think playing on this team was the most fun I’ve ever had in baseball,” Krause said. “Nobody believed in us coming into the year, but we kept winning and winning, nobody expected that. It felt great to prove people wrong and be a leader on a team that was overachieving. The group of guys was my best friends, it was my favorite team I’ve ever been on.”
He’s not just thankful for his team.
Krause accomplished a lot during his career, including a nine-month rehab from the back woes that plagued him. But no matter what happened, he knew he had his crew in his corner.
“My parents, both my mom and dad, really pushed me and helped me,” Krause said. “They were always there for me. They always gave me moral support.
“And all my coaches. Especially Mike Anderson, my Showtime coach, he’s been there for me for years. He’s never left my side, always there to train with me. I give him a ton of credit for where I am.
“Coach (Bobby) Hill was a great coach. I had great coaches. He’s a good coach and a great man who really cares about his players.”
