Ken Kravec

Kenneth Peter Kravec

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
• School Ashland College
• High School Midpark High School
• Debut September 4, 1975
• Final Game October 3, 1982
• Born July 29, 1951 in Cleveland, OH USA

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Biographical Information

Ken Kravec pitched 8 seasons in the majors, most notably spending several of those a member of the Chicago White Sox rotation.

A native of the Cleveland area, Kravec was selected out of high school by the Cleveland Indians in the 29th round of the 1969 amateur draft. Instead of signing with the club, he instead chose to attend Ashland College. He was then chosen by the White Sox in the third round of the 1973 amateur draft and signed by scout Fred Shaffer. He made his pro debut that summer with the Knoxville Sox, going 2-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 13 games.

After winning 14 games for Knoxville in 1975, Kravec earned a September call-up to Chicago. He made his big league debut for the Sox on September 4th, starting against the Kansas City Royals and giving up 3 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of work and taking the loss. He made one more appearance out of the pen later that month and ended his first taste of big league ball with an 0-1 record and a 6.23 ERA. He spent most of 1976 with the Iowa Oaks before returning to the majors in August, posting a 1-5 record and a 4.89 ERA in 9 outings.

Kravec grabbed a spot in the White Sox rotation in 1977 and made the most of the opportunity, winning 11 games and leading the club with 125 strikeouts. He matched that win total the next summer, fanning 154 batters (once again a team high) in 30 starts. He put up even better numbers in 1979, notching 15 wins to go along with a 3.74 ERA, 10 complete games, and 132 strikeouts (tops on the staff once more). That summer, he recorded his only career save on May 9th against the Detroit Tigers. He pitched one third of an inning, retiring Lynn Jones on a fly ball to right field. That July 12th, he was slated to take the mound in the second game of a doubleheader against the Tigers at Comiskey Park, but the club ended up forfeiting a a result of the Disco Demolition Night debacle. On August 1st, he was the last pitcher to face Thurman Munson, striking him out in the top of the 3rd. Munson was replaced by Jim Spencer in the bottom of the inning in an eventual 9-1 win by the New York Yankees. Munson died the next day in a plane crash.

Kravec was expected to be the ace of the Sox staff in 1980 but was slowed by injuries that summer and went just 3-6 with a 6.94 ERA in 20 games. The following spring, 1981, he was dealt across town to the Chicago Cubs for Dennis Lamp. He pitched two years for the Cubs before becoming a free agent following the 1982 season. He later pitched in the minors in the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals organizations.

Kravec was a pitching coach for the GCL Royals in 1986, Fort Myers Royals in 1987, and Memphis Chicks in 1988. In 1989, he played for the Bradenton Explorers of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. In 1990, he was with the Fort Myers Sun Sox of the same league. He pitched in 8 games and had a record of 0-1 when the league folded.

In 2011, Kravec was a "Special Assistant to the General Manager" for the Chicago Cubs, a position he had held since at least 2008.

Notable Achievements

• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1979)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1978 & 1979)