Monument Dedication for Lou Criger

On Sunday, June 3, 2012at 2:00 p.m.at RiverviewParkin Elkhart, Indiana, a monument will be dedicated to the life and baseball career of Lou Criger, with the public encouraged to attend.  The event is set for the 100 ^th anniversary of his last big league game that he played, which wasJune 3, 1912 as a member of the St. Louis American League team. He was born in Elkhart, February 6, 1872.

Currently a nice line-up of speakers is being put in place. Among them is Steve Krah, who is the chairperson for the Society for American Baseball Research’s Lou Criger Chapter. Members of the family of Criger will be traveling from out of state, with at least one speaking.

Criger enjoyed a sixteen-year major league career as a catcher. He was one of the best of his day, at a time when games were won by pitching and defense. Lou caught the most of Cy Young’s 511 victories, and led the American league in assists in 1903 and 1905. He played in the first World Series as a member of the 1903 World Champion Boston A.L. team.

I am pleased to have Lou Criger become the fourteenth player honored in my series titled, “David Stalker’s Early Baseball and Deadball Era Memorial Series”. Criger is very deserving of this honor, representing this great baseball era well. This will be a wonderful event, which I am looking forward to attending. Hope to see you there.