Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who built teams that won six NBA championships, is changing sports.
Krause is joining baseball’s New York Yankees and will be introduced on Tuesday as a special assistant, baseball operations.
Krause met Monday with Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner. He expects his role to be further defined in a Tuesday meeting with general manager Brian Cashman.
Krause, 64, stepped down as Bulls general manager on April 7, ostensibly for health reasons. “Jerry [Reinsdorf] offered me a consultant job, but I didn’t want to do that,” he said. “I’m too competitive. I’m a better person when I’m competing. You can’t fish every day.”
Krause, a baseball scout for four teams over 16 years earlier in his career, was a frequent visitor to Wrigley Field last season, mingling with the scouts in their seating area behind home plate.
“I had planned when I left the Bulls to go back to baseball,” he said. “When I [saw] I had the same abilities and desires and itch, I talked to several teams. The Yankees stepped to the plate.
Krause said he’ll be involved in player evaluation on all levels. “I’m going to be working with the major-league club, all the minor-league clubs and cross-checking kids across the country,” Krause said.
“I’m too young [to retire],” Krause said. “My health is better. … And I love scouting.”
