Kevin Kramer

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Kevin Kramer

|image = Kevin Kramer (51282869625) (cropped).jpg

|width = 250

|caption = Kramer with the Indianapolis Indians in 2021

|team =

|number =

|position = Second baseman / Third baseman / Outfielder

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|10|3}}

|birth_place = Turlock, California, U.S.

|bats = Left

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = September 5

|debutyear = 2018

|debutteam = Pittsburgh Pirates

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate = September 29

|finalyear = 2019

|finalteam = Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .152

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 0

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 9

|teams =

Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|2018}}–{{mlby|2019}})

}}

Kevin Lowell Kramer (born October 3, 1993) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 and 2019.

Amateur career

File:Kevin Kramer.jpg in 2015]]

Kramer attended Turlock High School in Turlock, California.{{Cite web |title=Turlock's Kramer goes solar in post-baseball endeavors |url=https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/local/turlocks-kramer-goes-solar-in-post-baseball-endeavors/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=www.turlockjournal.com}} He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 25th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played college baseball for the Bruins.{{cite web|url=http://www.turlockjournal.com/archives/9963/ |title=Kramer likely to stick with UCLA |publisher=Turlockjournal.com |date=June 3, 2011 |access-date=January 22, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/2015/05/07/uclas-kevin-kramer-returns-from-injury-with-new-perspective-on-baseball/|title=UCLA's Kevin Kramer returns from injury with new perspective on baseball|date=May 7, 2015|publisher=}} In 2013, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://pointstreak.com/baseball/player.html?playerid=426614 |title=Kevin Kramer - Profile |publisher=pointstreak.com |date= |access-date=September 25, 2019}}

Professional career

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

After his junior year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.turlockcitynews.com/life-social/item/5128-turlock-high-grad-kevin-kramer-drafted-by-pittsburgh-pirates |title=Turlock High Grad Kevin Kramer Drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates |publisher=Turlockcitynews.com |date= |access-date=January 22, 2018}}

Kramer made his professional debut with the Low-A West Virginia Black Bears and was promoted to the Single-A West Virginia Power during the season. In 58 total games between the two teams, he batted .291 with 20 RBIs. He played 2016 with the High-A Bradenton Marauders where he posted a .277 batting average with four home runs and 57 RBIs in 118 games.{{cite web|author=Andrew Erickson |url=http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/10753963-74/kramer-base-season |title=Minor league report: Bradenton's Kramer adjusting to switch to 2nd base |publisher=TribLIVE |date=July 16, 2016 |access-date=January 22, 2018}}[http://blog.triblive.com/bucco-blog/2016/07/16/friday-farm-report-a-look-at-kevin-kramer-kevin-newman-and-the-organizations-middle-infield-combinations/#axzz4g5cvG7FE] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919084240/http://blog.triblive.com/bucco-blog/2016/07/16/friday-farm-report-a-look-at-kevin-kramer-kevin-newman-and-the-organizations-middle-infield-combinations/|date=September 19, 2016}} In 2017, Kramer played with the Double-A Altoona Curve, batting .297 with six home runs and 27 RBIs{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=596012#/career/R/hitting/2018/ALL|title=Kevin Kramer Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=MiLB.com|access-date=March 21, 2018}} in 53 games before a fractured right hand ended his season in June.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-kevin-kramer-among-top-2b-prospects/c-265108070|title=Kramer rounds out Top 10 on 2B prospect list|work=MLB.com|access-date=March 21, 2018}}

Kramer began the 2018 season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians of the International League and was called up to the majors for the first time on September 4.{{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2018/09/04/Pirates-promote-infield-prospect-Kevin-Kramer-pittsburgh-indianapolis/stories/201809040104|title=Pirates promote infield prospect Kevin Kramer|publisher=}} He made his MLB debut the next day as a pinch hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. In 21 games with Pittsburgh, Kramer slashed .135/.175/.135 with 4 RBI. Kramer spent the majority of the 2019 season with Indianapolis, playing in only 22 games with the Pirates, with whom he batted .167/.260/.190 with 5 RBI.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kramer000kev|title=Kevin Kramer College, Amateur, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

On May 20, 2020, Kramer underwent surgery on his right hip, and missed the entire 2020 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/05/kevin-kramer-undergoes-hip-surgery.html|title=Kevin Kramer Undergoes Hip Surgery|website=MLB Trade Rumors|date=20 May 2020 }} On October 30, Kramer was outrighted off of the 40-man roster.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/10/minor-mlb-transactions-103020.html|title=Minor MLB Transactions: 10/30/20|website=MLB Trade Rumors|date=30 October 2020 }} He began the 2021 season with Indianapolis, where he batted .196/.318/.296 with 3 home runs and 22 RBI in 51 games.

=Milwaukee Brewers=

On July 4, 2021, Kramer was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Nathan Kirby.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/07/brewers-acquire-kevin-kramer-from-pirates.html|title=Brewers Acquire Kevin Kramer From Pirates|website=MLB Trade Rumors|date=4 July 2021 }} He played in 23 games for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, slashing .245/.379/.321 with no home runs and 4 RBI. On August 17, Kramer was released by the Brewers organization.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/08/brewers-sign-david-dahl-release-kevin-kramer.html|title = Brewers Sign David Dahl to Minor League Deal| date=17 August 2021 }}

On June 1, 2022, Kramer affirmed that he had retired from professional baseball and has since started his own solar power firm after his release from the Brewers organization.{{Cite web|title=Kevin Kramer: Ends playing days|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/kevin-kramer-ends-playing-days/amp/|access-date=2023-01-14|website=cbssports.com|language=en}}

Personal

Kramer and his wife, Riley, welcomed their first child, a daughter, in November 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://triblive.com/ccpa/|title=/ccpa/|website=TribLIVE.com}}