Rick Kriz (Iowa Fastpitch Hall Of Fame 2004 Inductee)

I would like to nominate Mr Rick Kriz now of Steamboat Rock to consideration for the Iowa Softball Hall of Fame. I have known Rick since we were competing against each other in high school. It seems whenever we played against each other in baseball he hit a home run against me or I got one against him to win the game. He was a standout athlete from Grundy Center only recently be elected to the Grundy Center High School Hall of Fame. He attended college at UNI and played baseball for them. He was drafted by the New York Yankees and played in the Yankees organization for three years before a nagging shoulder injury shortened his career.

Rick played several years for the Holland Merchants Fastpitch team while in high school and in college. I am trying to obtain these records from Holland team but as of this date have not received the information. After Rick's stint with the Yankees he came back and played with Buttr' Topp for nine years. In 1978 Rick was the MVP of the Regional tournament in Cedar Rapids which allowed us to go to the National Tournament in Springfield, Mo.

Prior to the 1978 year, Rick had his finest years in the three previous highlighted in 1976 by hitting 20 home runs, 68 rbi' s, and a batting average of .314 against some of the toughest pitching anywhere in the Midwest. However 1978 was his most complete year hitting 16 home runs, drove in 70 rbi's and averaged .338 for the year.

Rick always seemed to come through with a defensive play or a timely base hit or always hustling to be in the right place. He even got me thrown out of the only game of my entire career in Bomber Park in Des Moines. I had been called out on a strike which I though wasn't a strike. When I returned to the dugout Rick started chirping at the umpire who thought it was me, walked over to the dugout and promptly threw me out of the game. I said not only did you miss the call, you can't even throw the right guy out of the game!

The culmination of Rick's career ended in July of 1982 when he was selected to the Team of the Decade for the 1970's. If you look at the names that appear on that list of ball players the only glaring error is not having Rick in the Hall of Fame. He is the only one on that list that is not a member of this elite group.

This fact alone should entitle Rick to be considered a member of the Iowa Fastpitch Softball Hall of Fame.

Lance Dreesman, Owner

Rock Creek Athletics, Inc

P.O. Box 509

Grinnell, Iowa 50112