In 1884, Krieg played in the Union Association, which is now considered a "major league."

In 1886, he split time with the Washington Nationals and the Eastern League's Hartford Dark Blues.

On opening day, he hit a home run, and in the stands, "hats, umbrellas and canes were thrown into the air and the multitude shouted forth their joy in hilarious manner.

[1] Afterwards, he joined the Northwestern League's Minneapolis Millers and batted .402, which was the second-best total in the circuit.

During that campaign, he batted a robust .452, with 237 hits, 14 triples, and 11 home runs to lead the Western Association in all four categories.