Chris Krug

Athlete, Pre 1960


Chris first got excited about baseball in 1952 when he participated in his first Little League team in Pedley and was presented with the “Most Outstanding Player” award.  From there Chris went on to:

Riverside Pony League in 1953 on the Palm School Team

Riverside Pony League Regionals in San Bernardino in 1954

  • Biography

    In 1958, Chris again was voted all CBL and CIF at Riverside Poly where they were League Champs.  Again in 1958, Chris’ talent showed when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played for them for seven years.

    In the winter of 1964, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs and played for them for two years.

    In 1965 Chris made baseball history when he, as a catcher, caught a one-hitter against Sandy Koufax’s perfect game at Dodger Stadium.

    In 1969, Chris became an original member of the San Diego Padres.

    After Chris retired from Pro-Baseball in 1970, he was excited to be able to give back to his community of Riverside some of what was given to him over the years with honor and dignity. Chris has done this by volunteering as a coach for the Riverside Youth Baseball League, and he coached the Riverside Thoroughbred All Star team to the “World Series”. Chris was also proud to be the assistant varsity basketball coach and Head Junior Varsity coach for the University of California, Riverside. Another on of his honorable accomplishments was President and Co-Founder of the Riverside Junior Tackle Football.  In love for the City of Riverside, Chris has also made personal donations to help fund the youth and adult recreational programs.

    Outside of Riverside County, Chris coached professional baseball with the New York Mets for two years and was assistant varsity coach at UCLA for three years.

    Today, Chris is living his dream through his business “Athletic Turfs, Inc.” which gives him a chance to relive his memories of baseball.  Athletic Turfs builds baseball facilities such as San Diego State University, Angels Stadium, “The Field of Dreams”, as in the movie with the same name and UCLA.

    Chris Krug’s loyalty to the city of Riverside, love for the city and true spirit of talented baseball play on and off the field has truly made him deserving of this prestigious honor.

  • Video

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  • Induction Speech

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