Levine: Jerry Krause's Impact Underrated, Underappreciated

By Bruce Levine--

(CBS) I caught my first and only fish in Jerry Krause's backyard.

Krause and I became good friends after he left his position as general manager/executive vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls in 2003. As Krause explained to me many times over the years, he refrained from being friends with anyone in the media because he had a job to do for Jerry Reinsdorf, the chairman of the White Sox and Bulls.

"I always thought if I let any information out that was private, I would be disloyal," Krause would say. "I was never able to lie."

Krause emphasized that he liked and admired many writers and media members, but he didn't want to deceive anyone externally or be disloyal internally.

In the wake of Krause's death at 77 on Tuesday, I can tell you this: He was a really good guy.

Through the years, many made fun of Krause and overlooked the essence of the man. His top priority was to win, and his gift for finding talent and fitting pieces together was legendary.

"My mom on her death bed asked Jerry to take care of me," White Sox radio voice and former big league pitcher Ed Farmer said. "I was 17 and a drafted by the Cleveland Indians. He kept his promise and watched me like a son. I owe my career to Jerry. He was always a great friend and loyal as they come."

Krause had four great passions in his life. His family was first, starting with the love of his life, his wife Thelma. The next three passions were baseball, basketball and fishing. Krause was a top-flight scout in both sports, starting in baseball before switching between the two in his more than five decades in sports. Of course, Krause's biggest claim to fame is building the Bulls' dynasty that won six titles in eight years in the 1990s.

Krause was a bulldog when it came to gathering information and outworking the others in his field. Krause once told me that longtime scout Fred Hasselman, a mentor of his, would tell him to keep his eyes and ears open. Krause took that advice and made it his mantra.

Krause has been jobbed out of induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for too long. Six championships should have been an automatic ticket into the hallowed halls of Springfield, Mass., but the political gyrations kept him out.

"Jerry Krause belonged in the Hall of Fame before me," Reinsdorf said on numerous occasions.

One of the times Reinsdorf made that comment was when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer, saying he wouldn't have been receiving the honor without Krause's contributions and hard work.

Thelma was Krause's hero, and she was his advocate and staunchest supporter for three decades. Thelma and her family helped Krause stay alive the past three years as he battled persistent health problems. Krause had contracted an internal infection that eventually zapped his strength and led to his passing.

He always fought the good fight, just like you knew he would.

After I caught that fish, Krause told everyone it was a 20-pound bass. It was actually a three-pounder, and it was the only time I ever heard him lie.

Just know this: If there's a baseball or basketball game where Krause now rests, he will be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.