On either side of a highly successful but controversial NBA front-office career, Jerry Krause was a passionate and focused baseball scout determined to find the extra skill or character flaw that would dictate whether to complete a major acquisition.
I understand the frustrations of Bulls fans who felt deprived of a shot at another title by Krause’s mission to tear down a roster he believed had grown too pricey and too old to retain.
And Krause’s reputation for being abrasive wasn’t limited to basketball; one baseball scout told me he didn’t like Krause showing him up in a staff meeting after he recommended a veteran catcher who Krause thought was over the hill.