Chad Kreuter was a professional baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons. He was born on August 26, 1964, in Greenbrae, California, and attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he played college baseball.
Kreuter was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the fifth round of the 1985 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1988 and played for them until 1990. He then played for the Detroit Tigers from 1991 to 1992, the Seattle Mariners in 1993, the Chicago White Sox from 1994 to 1995, the Anaheim Angels from 1996 to 1998, the Kansas City Royals in 1999, and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2000 to 2002. He finished his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003.
Throughout his career, Kreuter was known for his defensive skills as a catcher. He had a strong arm and was able to throw out many baserunners attempting to steal. He also had a good ability to block pitches in the dirt and was a reliable receiver for his pitchers.
Offensively, Kreuter was not known for his power but was a consistent hitter. He had a career batting average of .237 with 49 home runs and 244 runs batted in (RBIs). He also had a good eye at the plate and drew many walks throughout his career.
Kreuter was a part of several successful teams during his career. He played in the World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1991 and the Anaheim Angels in 2002. He also played in the American League Championship Series with the White Sox in 1993 and the Angels in 2002.
After retiring from playing, Kreuter went on to coach at the college and professional levels. He was an assistant coach at USC from 2006 to 2010 and then became the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) from 2011 to 2015. He also served as a coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners.
Overall, Chad Kreuter had a successful career as a catcher in MLB. He was known for his defensive skills and was a part of several successful teams throughout his career. After retiring from playing, he went on to have a successful coaching career at both the college and professional levels.
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