Hall of Fame
Soft-spoken, polite and reserved off the field, Olympic gold medalist Rick Krivada was an over-powering and dominant southpaw pitcher for the Vulcan Baseball team from 1989-1991.
Originally from McKeesport, Pa., and a graduate of McKeesport High School, Krivda set a single-season school record for pitching wins with eight victories in 1989.
The following year, Krivda set a school-record in single-season strikeouts with 104. The 1990 squad made Cal U’s first PSAC Final Four appearance since 1985. Krivda pitched 90.2 innings in 1990 which remains a school record. At the PSAC Final Four, Krivda pitched a six-hit shutout victory over nationally-ranked Mansfield. The Vulcans finished second at the 1990 state tourney, Cal’s highest PSAC finish since 1983. As a junior, Krivda broke his own single-season strikeout record and led the entire NCAA Division II with 106 whiffs. The three-time all-conference hurler was also selected as a first-team NCAA National All-American. He played under retired Vulcan baseball head coach Chuck Gismondi and Krivda concluded his exceptional collegiate career with a 22-13 career record with a 2.54 ERA. He struck out 254 batters in just 227 innings pitched.
Nationally recognized, Krivda was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 23rd round of the 1991 free-agent draft.
Just as his undergraduate days, Krivda enjoyed instant success at the pro level. He was fifth among all Appalachian League pitchers with a 1.88 ERA with seven wins for Baltimore’s 1991 rookie team. Krivda was selected Orioles Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1992 and led all Minor League pitchers with 118 strikeouts and 17 wins. He was named to the Midwest League All-Star Game in 1992 and was the starting pitcher in the 1993 Double-A All-Star Game. He pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in the 1994 Triple-A All-Star Game.
“This is like the icing on the cake for me from a baseball standpoint,” said Krivda, who has not been on Cal’s campus since 1992. “It is very flattering to be recognized, especially because I only played three years here before pursuing the dream to play professional baseball.”
The crafty southpaw made his Major League debut against the White Sox in July of 1995 and picked up his first Major League win against Oakland in August. In 1996 Krivda made three crucial late-season starts that helped the "O’s" advance to the playoffs as a wild card. He pitched for both Baltimore and Class AAA affiliate Rochester in 1997, compiling a combined 18-4 mark. Krivda pitched for the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Kansas City organizations in 1998 and 1999.
Krivada pitched for both the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds in 1998 before spending 1999 with Kansas City’s Triple-A Omaha team.
His 10th season of professional baseball proved memorable and historic. Besides returning to the Orioles organization and recording 11 wins with a 3.12 ERA in the International League, Krivda also played for the 2000 gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team in Sydney, Australia. He is the first Cal U student-athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. Last spring, Krivda pitched with the Memphis Redbirds, Class AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Krivda obviously looks back on his Olympic experience with considerable pride.
“That was one of the greatest experiences of my life and Australia was a fantastic country,” Krivda said. “Representing our country and winning a gold medal is so incredible that it is hard to describe. Tommy LaSorda was the first-rate manager and we had a great bunch of guys. That was the first year they allowed professional athletes to compete in Olympic baseball. People wanted Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds but had settled for Rick Krivda.”
While he performed at the highest level of international competition as well as baseball’s superior professional league, the one-time Vulcan does not forget his Cal U experience and influences.
“Without question my time at California helped me become the person I am today,” said Krivda, who was signed by local Oriole’s scout Tony Segsda. “I give a great deal of thanks to Chuck Gismondi and the other people who taught me. Coach Gismondi was fair and firm and reminds me of my own father. He always kept every promise he ever made to me.”
Though his collegiate career ended 11 years ago, Krivda believes that the 1990 team was the best of the three Cal teams he pitched on and still remembers his PSAC Final Four experience.
“I remember the pre-tournament banquet at the hotel in Scranton,” Krivda said. “They announced all the teams and their records and it seemed like we did not belong. The game against Mansfield was really kind of a breeze. We must have turned three or four double plays and they never threatened us. It was disappointing that we did not win the tourney but we still had a good run.”
The son of Francis and Jean Krivda, Rick lives in Perry Hall, Maryland, with Christina Garst. They have a son, Zachary Owens, who is two. An active citizen, Krivda helps with a Reading Program in Baltimore and a youth summer camp in Wilmerding, Pa.
As he awaits to be called by a team this spring, Krivda knows he can still pitch effectively in the big leagues.
“I was injured at the end of last season which kind of ended on sour note for me,” Krivda said. “I watched the spring training games and I know I can still do this. Several major league managers have told me to go for it and I will. I want to leave baseball on my terms.”
