Former Red Sox Pitcher, Member of 1975 World Series Team, Dies
Baseball took Rick Kreuger around the world, from a storied chapter in the history of the Boston Red Sox to the same clubhouse as the greatest home run hitter of all-time.
Ultimately, it took him back home to West Michigan, where he passed away on May 7. The veteran of four MLB seasons was 77.
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Kreuger made two relief appearances for the 1975 Red Sox. However, he was passed over for their playoff roster and did not participate in the World Series, which the Cincinnati Reds won in a memorable seven games.
Kreuger made 17 appearances for the Red Sox (1975-77) and Cleveland Indians (1978), retiring with a 2-2 record and 4.47 ERA. He also spent a season in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants in 1978. There, he teamed with Giants slugger Sadaharu Oh, who would retire the following year with 868 career home runs.
"It's not that I played a long time in Big Leagues, but I got to play at places all players want to play," Kreuger told MLive.com in 2012. "My best memory at Fenway was when I pitched a no-hitter at Fenway Park for seven innings, but ended up losing a three-hitter.
"The crowd there gave me a standing ovation. I tipped my cap, absorbed it all in, and kept on going into the dugout. I wondered at the time, how many people actually get a standing ovation at Fenway Park? It doesn't get much better than that."
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The Red Sox signed Kreuger out of Michigan State in 1970. He spent the next five years climbing the minor-league ladder as a starting pitcher, but was used in relief during his first cup of coffee in 1975 with the eventual American League pennant winners.
In 2012, Kreuger joined more than 200 Red Sox alumni who attended Fenway Park's 100th-anniversary celebration.
Kreuger is survived by his wife, Brenda, three children, four grandchildren and two siblings.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM.