Krapp was born in
Rochester, New York, to Frederick “Fritz” and Bertha (Hettig) Krapp on May 12, 1887. Of
German stock, both of his parents were from Wurtemberg, Germany. He started his professional baseball career in 1906, in the
Southern Michigan League. In 1909, he led the league with 23 wins and then went to the
Portland Beavers of the class A
Pacific Coast League. Krapp had his greatest season in 1910. Nicknamed "Rubber Arm" for his durability, he pitched 442 innings and went 29–16, as Portland won the pennant. Krapp led the PCL with a 1.26
earned run average. The following season, Krapp made his major league debut for the Cleveland Naps, a team which featured stars such as
Shoeless Joe Jackson and
Nap Lajoie. Krapp led the
American League with 138
walks in 1911 but was also difficult to hit, and he went 13–9. However, he slumped badly in 1912. Krapp returned to the Portland Beavers in 1913 before making his way to the
Federal League. In 1914, he went 16–14 with a 2.49 ERA for Buffalo, setting his major league career-bests in innings pitched, wins, and ERA. He pitched one more season for Buffalo and then one in the minor leagues before retiring. Krapp died in 1923. ==References==