Wayne Krenchicki

Wayne Richard Krenchicki (September 17, 1954 – October 16, 2018) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman. He played all or parts of eight seasons in the majors from until . He was a past manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League. He played college baseball at the University of Miami.

Pre-MLB Krenchicki grew up in Ewing Township, New Jersey, and graduated from Ewing High School in 1972. Krenchicki was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round (171st overall) of the 1972 MLB draft, shortly after his high school graduation. He opted to accept an athletic scholarship from the University of Miami where he majored in physical education. A three-year letterman from 1973 to 1975 with the Ron Fraser-coached Hurricanes, Krenchicki is considered the best shortstop in the program's history.

Krenchicki was sent to the Cincinnati Reds on February 15, 1982, to complete a transaction from five days prior in which the Orioles had acquired Paul Moskau. That season, he backed up Johnny Bench at third base for the Reds, batting .283. Krenchicki was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Pat Underwood on June 30, 1983. His contract was sold back to the Reds just under five months later on November 21.

Over the next two seasons, Krenchicki returned to being the Reds backup at third base, behind Nick Esasky in and Buddy Bell in . He was traded to the Montreal Expos the following offseason, and in he played mostly at first base for the Expos, backing up Andrés Galarraga. After becoming a free agent at the end of the season, Krenchicki did not play in the majors again.

Post-MLB In and , Krenchicki played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. After the league folded, he was brought in by the Milwaukee Brewers organization. From until , Krenchicki served as a minor league manager for the Brewers, in the Arizona Fall League in 1991, then for the Beloit Brewers of the Midwest League for the next three seasons.

In , Krenchicki began managing in various independent minor leagues.

In , he was hired by the independent Newark Bears of the Atlantic League and in his initial season won his first league championship. He managed the Newark Bears again in 2008 after which on December 16, 2008, he was named the manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League.

Wayne Krenchicki died at age 64 on October 16, 2018.