Finding Greatness in Others

As a former Major League pitcher, Bill Kruger has an inspiring story of “Finding Greatness.”

An exceptional storyteller, he provides personal leadership insights from the various relationships he built over his career with coaches and business professionals.

From these experiences, he shares principles that help successful individuals and teams reach higher and achieve more.

Bill is a co-founding partner of 4Seam Leadership and remains highly visible in his role for ROOT SPORTS Northwest as a Senior Analyst for Seattle Mariners Baseball.

Bill Krueger has come a long way from that skinny kid growing up in McMinnville, Oregon.

With little fanfare, Bill entered the University of Portland on a basketball scholarship in 1975 and was a four-year starting guard. Sophomore year, he decided to turn out for baseball, and played three years of first base for the Pilots. After graduation, Bill hoped to extend his baseball career into the professional ranks, but had no takers in the 1980 amateur draft. Despite not pitching in college, he made a quick assent up the ranks, joining the Major Leagues with Oakland in April 1983.

As a left-handed pitcher, Bill played for 13 seasons and was a member of the 1988 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He won the American League Pitcher of the Month Award twice: July 1991 – Seattle Mariners and April 1992 – Minnesota Twins. He played in Seattle in 1991, finishing with an 11-8 record, with a starting staff leading 3.60 ERA.

Bill and his wife Jo, who are parents of a child with autism, were instrumental in establishing the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Cure Autism Now, a coalition of athletes, community leaders, board members, celebrities, and parents for private fundraising events and legislative lobbying activities.

Today, Bill is the new Director of Development for Rise Above, a 501C3 charity aiming to empower Native American youth to lead healthy lives despite the challenges. The organization delivers education, prevention skills and mentorship through programs tailored for their needs.

This position is deeply meaningful to Bill as his wife Jo is Native American and a member of the Quinault Tribe and daughter Chanel works as an attorney for the Puyallup Tribe.