Chris Krug, the Chicago Cubs catcher who played a key role in Sandy Koufax's 1965 perfect game, has died. He was 86 years old. Krug passed away on January 16 in Wildomar, California, as confirmed by his daughter Chrisann Burull.
Chris Krug, a former catcher for the Chicago Cubs, passed away on January 16 in Wildomar, California. He was 86 years old, and his death was confirmed by his daughter, Chrisann Burull, of Riverside, California.
Krug is remembered for his involvement in one of baseball's historic moments: Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, 1965, at Dodger Stadium. During that game, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cubs 1-0. Koufax, the first left-handed pitcher in modern history to throw a perfect game, was in a scoreless duel with Cubs pitcher Bob Hendley. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Dodgers outfielder Lou Johnson walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice, stole third, and slid hard into Cubs third baseman Ron Santo. Krug's throw to third sailed into left field, allowing Johnson to score the game's only run.
Reflecting on the error years later, Krug said in a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, “I never should have thrown it. Lou had it beat.” His daughter Burull shared in a February 25 interview with MLB.com, “I don’t know if he ever really accepted the fact that he overthrew Ron. Even though he got the error, he was proud to be part of that history. And when he talked about Sandy, he would always say what a nice, nice man he is.”
Krug faced Koufax in the top of the ninth inning, leading off with a seven-pitch at-bat that ended in a strikeout. He later recalled, “I can still see that third strike. How in the heck did I miss it? I saw it all the way, it was a strike low and in, and that was my strength. I just missed it.” He often heard replays of Vin Scully’s famous call of the inning.
Krug's 11-year professional career included brief stints in the majors with the Cubs in 1965-66 and the San Diego Padres in 1969. A graduate of Riverside Polytechnic High School—the first of 14 Major Leaguers from there—he was inducted into the Riverside Athletic Hall of Fame. After playing, he served as an assistant coach at UCLA from 1979 to 1984 under Gary Adams and managed the New York Mets' Single-A affiliate in Little Falls, New York, from 1977 to 1978. Burull noted, “He took it upon himself to manage and groom the field there, and it was the best-looking field in the league.”
Later, Krug founded Athletic Turfs, Inc., installing turf at fields across Southern California, including Angel Stadium, and notably for the 1989 film “Field of Dreams” in Dyersville, Iowa.
