Louis Criger (February 3, 1872 – May 14, 1934) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1896 to 1912 for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos / Cardinals, Boston Americans / Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders. Listed at and , he batted and threw right-handed.
Biography
alt=Boston Americans catcher Lou Criger, 1901. Michael T. "Nuf Ced" McGreevy Collection, Boston Public Library|left|thumb|Boston Americans catcher Lou Criger, 1901. Michael T. "Nuf Ced" McGreevy Collection, Boston Public Library
Criger began his major league career with two games for the Cleveland Spiders of the National League in 1896. During the 1897–1908 seasons, Young won 284 games, In the first modern World Series in , he caught every inning of every game for Boston, helping his team win the championship. Criger was also the catcher for Cy Young's perfect game, the first perfect game in American League history, on May 5, 1904. Criger and Young remained with Boston through the 1908 season, Although never a major star, Criger received votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame in four years of balloting (1936–1939). He garnered a high of eight percent of the vote, being named on 16 of 201 ballots, in the 1937 balloting.
Criger served as coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team in early 1907, until he had to report to Boston's spring training in mid-March. Born in February 1872 in Indiana, Criger died in May 1934 in Tucson, Arizona; he was survived by his wife, one daughter, and five sons.