Roger Craig (baseball)
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Roger Craig | |
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Pitcher / Manager | |
Born: Durham, North Carolina, U.S. | February 17, 1930|
Died: June 4, 2023 San Diego, California, U.S. | (aged 93)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
July 17, 1955, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 10, 1966, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 74–98 |
Earned run average | 3.83 |
Strikeouts | 803 |
Managerial record | 738–737 |
Winning % | .500 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Roger Lee Craig (February 17, 1930 – June 4, 2023) was an American
As a player and coach, Craig was part of four World Series championship teams. As a manager, he led the 1989 San Francisco Giants to the team's first National League championship in 27 years.
Playing career
Craig was born in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated from Durham High School, where he played multiple sports.[2] He began his college sports career at North Carolina State University on a basketball scholarship, but spent only one year at NC State before signing a professional baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 for $6,000 (equivalent to $76,000 in 2023).[3]
Craig threw and batted
Craig would appear in three more World Series. He was treated harshly by the Yankees and
Craig was a member of the inaugural 1962 New York Mets. As a member of the starting rotation of the 1962 and 1963 Mets, who lost 120 and 111 games, respectively, Craig posted a 15–46 won–lost record during his two seasons with the expansion team. "But," Craig once recalled, "11 of those times it took a shutout to beat me."[citation needed] Despite his poor record, Craig was a stalwart of the legendarily bad team's pitching staff. Remarkably, he threw 27 complete games in 64 starts, demonstrating that he was one of the Mets' best pitchers. His manager, Casey Stengel, told him, "You've gotta be good to lose that many."[citation needed]
Craig lost the first game in Mets' history, 11–4, in St. Louis. (It has been erroneously believed that he gave up the Mets' first run on a
A master of the
Coach and manager
Craig retired from the mound after the 1966 campaign and rejoined the Dodgers as a
In March 1978—in the midst of spring training, and only two weeks before Opening Day—the Padres' ownership fired Dark for "miscommunication" with his players and elevated Craig to the manager's post. Said Craig at the time: "It was the shock of my life, but the best shock I've ever had. My main task now is to get the players to relax so they can perform to the best of their capabilities."[9] The 1978 Padres responded to Craig's leadership, improving by 15 games over 1977 and posting the first winning season (84–78) in franchise history. However, Craig's 1979 team took a giant step backward, reverting to a poor 68–93 record. Craig was fired at season's end and replaced by Jerry Coleman, the former Yankee second baseman then serving as the radio voice of the Padres.
The firing eventually proved to be beneficial to Craig's managing career, however. Sparky Anderson, a former Dodger minor leaguer and coaching colleague of Craig's on the 1969 Padres, had taken over as pilot of the Detroit Tigers in the middle of 1979. He appointed Craig his pitching coach for 1980, and over the next five seasons, Craig moulded the Detroit pitching staff (led by bellwethers Jack Morris and Dan Petry) into a formidable group. The 1984 Tigers stormed to a 35–5 start, the American League pennant, and World Series championship (achieved against the San Diego Padres).
The national exposure Craig received burnished his reputation as one of baseball's top pitching coaches and "guru of the split-finger fastball".[1] Said former MLB catcher and manager Mike Scioscia in 2011, “Everyone was throwing that pitch. It was the pitch of the ’80s just like the pitch of the ’60s was a slider.”[1]
But when the Detroit front office refused his request for a salary increase for 1985, Craig retired to his San Diego County ranch.[10] His retirement did not last a full baseball season.
San Francisco Giants
From September 18, 1985, through the end of 1992, Craig was the manager of the San Francisco Giants. He replaced Jim Davenport for the final 18 games of the 1985 season, posting a 6–12 record. But in his first five full seasons with the Giants, 1986 through 1990, they never finished with a losing record.
In
In
The Giants then began a slow decline on the field, winning 85 games in
Death
Craig died in San Diego on June 4, 2023, at the age of 93.[1][15]
Managerial record
Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | Win % | W | L | Win % | |||
San Diego Padres | 1978 | 1979 | 152 | 171 | .471 | — | ||
San Francisco Giants | 1985 | 1992 | 586 | 566 | .509 | 7 | 9 | .438 |
Total | 738 | 737 | .500 | 7 | 9 | .438 | ||
Ref.:[14] |
References
- ^ a b c d Goldstein, Richard (June 6, 2023). "Roger Craig, Teacher of an Era-Defining Pitch, Is Dead at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- The Durham Sun. p. D. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the originalon November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Retrosheet box score: 1955-07-17 (1)
- ^ Retrosheet box score: 1955 World Series Game 5
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals 11, New York Mets 4". retrosheet.org. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- The New York Daily News. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "New York Mets 7, Chicago Cubs 3", Retrosheet box score (August 9, 1963)
- ^ United Press International. March 1978), "Padres: Dark Out, Craig In." The New York Times.
- ^ Shook, Rich, Roger Craig. Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project
- ^ "SIGNS OF THE TIMES – Sun Sentinel"..
- ^ Kroner, Steve (April 9, 2006). "20TH ANNIVERSARY: Brad Gulden / The original The original Humm-baby / Craig's fond label for scrub caught on". SFGate. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
- ^ Boswell, Thomas (October 8, 1987). "Words That a Manager Can Live By—'Humm, Baby'". losangelestimes.com. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
The entire Bay area now says, "Humm, Baby"—that old-fashioned high-school staple of infield chatter and Craig's favorite expresion—whenever anything good happens.
- ^ a b "Roger Craig". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ "Roger Craig, World Series fixture as pitcher and manager, dies". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
Further reading
- Angell, Roger (1988). ISBN 0-395-38165-7.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Roger Craig managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- Roger Craig at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- YouTube video of Craig's start against the St. Louis Cardinals, July 25, 1959
- Roger Craig at Baseball Almanac
- Roger Craig at Baseballbiography.com
- Roger Craig at Ultimate Mets Database
- The original Humm-baby Article on the 20th Anniversary of the phrase "Humm Baby"
- Giants Clubhouse: Humm Baby