Craig Kusick

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For the American football player, see
Craig Kusick, Jr.
Craig Kusick
Runs batted in
171
Teams

Craig Robert Kusick (September 30, 1948 – September 27, 2006) was an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays.

Early life and amateur career

Born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kusick grew up in the suburb of Greenfield. He attended Greenfield High School in Greenfield. Kusick attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He played college football as a wide receiver for the Wisconsin–La Crosse Eagles. After getting cut from the school's baseball team as a freshman, he joined the school's track and field team. He had a .307 batting average in three seasons with the school's baseball team.[1]

Professional career

He was signed by the Twins in 1970. He broke in with the team in September 1973, and gradually took over first base duties from Harmon Killebrew, but was primarily used as a DH from 1976 to 1978 when Rod Carew was moved over from second base. On August 27, 1975, Kusick tied a major league record by being hit by pitches three times in an 11-inning game against the Milwaukee Brewers. His career peaked with a 1977 season in which he batted .254 with 12 home runs and 45 runs batted in.[2] After hitting .173 in 1978, and posting a .241 mark through 24 games in 1979, his contract was sold to the Toronto Blue Jays in midseason. He hit .204 in 24 more games with the Blue Jays before being released after the season. Kusick subsequently signed with the San Diego Padres but never made it back to the major leagues.[3]

Kusick ended his career with a .235 batting average, 46 HRs, 171 RBI, 291

California Angels, allowing three hits and two runs in 3+2⁄3 innings for a 4.91 earned run average
.

Kusick later was named baseball coach at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, Minnesota from 1982 to 2004. Seven of his teams played in the state tournament.[4]

Personal life

A resident of

St. Paul
. He died nine months after his wife Sarabeth (October 27, 1949 – December 22, 2005) succumbed to ovarian cancer; they were survived by their two children.

His son,

Arena Football League
.

References

  1. The La Crosse Tribune
    . p. 19. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ISBN 978-0-87795-984-7
    .
  3. ISBN 9781442236400
    . Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  4. ^ "The Obit For Craig Kusick". The dead ball era. 2006-09-28. Archived from the original on 2010-10-19. Retrieved 2011-08-29.

External links

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