Roger Craig
Born: 2/17/1930 in Durham, NC, USA
Died: 6/4/2023 in San Diego, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1955-07-17 | Final Game: 1966-07-10
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Roger Lee Craig
Biography
Roger Craig, born in 1930, was a professional baseball pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1955 until his retirement in 1966. Known for his durability and competitive spirit, Craig played during a transformative era in baseball, navigating the transition from the deadball period to the more dynamic offensive approach that characterized the late 1950s and 1960s. He compiled a career record of 74 wins and 98 losses, with a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.83 over the course of his career.
Throughout his time in the league, Craig was recognized for his ability to strike out batters, totaling 803 strikeouts. He also demonstrated versatility as a late-game pitcher, recording 19 saves. His contributions on the mound were marked by a tenacity that made him a reliable option for his teams. After concluding his playing days, Craig would go on to have a notable career as a manager, further solidifying his legacy in the sport. His journey through the game reflected the evolving landscape of baseball during a pivotal time in its history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 98 | 368 | 186 | 58 | 7 | 19 | 1536.3 | 1528 | 653 | 186 | 522 | 803 | 3.83 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 5 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 90.7 | 81 | 28 | 43 | 48 | 2.78 | 199.4 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 12 | 11 | 35 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 199.0 | 169 | 82 | 87 | 109 | 3.71 | -1631.5 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 6 | 9 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 111.3 | 102 | 57 | 47 | 69 | 4.61 | -2297.9 |
| 1958 | LAD | NL | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32.0 | 30 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 4.50 | - |
| 1959 | LAD | NL | 11 | 5 | 29 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 152.7 | 122 | 35 | 45 | 76 | 2.06 | - |
| 1960 | LAD | NL | 8 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 115.7 | 99 | 42 | 43 | 69 | 3.27 | - |
| 1961 | LAD | NL | 5 | 6 | 40 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 112.7 | 130 | 77 | 52 | 63 | 6.15 | - |
| 1962 | NYN | NL | 10 | 24 | 42 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 233.3 | 261 | 117 | 70 | 118 | 4.51 | -3609.9 |
| 1963 | NYN | NL | 5 | 22 | 46 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 236.0 | 249 | 99 | 58 | 108 | 3.78 | -2850.5 |
| 1964 | STL | NL | 7 | 9 | 39 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 166.0 | 180 | 60 | 35 | 84 | 3.25 | - |
| 1965 | CIN | NL | 1 | 4 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 64.3 | 74 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 3.64 | -984.1 |
| 1966 | PHI | NL | 2 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22.7 | 31 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 5.56 | -479.8 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 368 | 448 | 15 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 31 | 219 | 0.085 | 0.146 | 0.089 | 0.235 | -3511.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | BRO | NL | 21 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0.077 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | BRO | NL | 35 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 0.016 | -893.4 |
| 1957 | BRO | NL | 32 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.138 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | LAD | NL | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | LAD | NL | 29 | 52 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0.058 | -703.5 |
| 1960 | LAD | NL | 21 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 0.056 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | LAD | NL | 40 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.148 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | NYN | NL | 42 | 76 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 0.053 | -1000.9 |
| 1963 | NYN | NL | 46 | 69 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 39 | 0.087 | -728.3 |
| 1964 | STL | NL | 39 | 48 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 0.208 | -185.7 |
| 1965 | CIN | NL | 40 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | PHI | NL | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.167 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | WS | SLN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1959 | WS | LAN | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| 1956 | WS | BRO | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
| 1955 | WS | BRO | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 26.3 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 25 | 6.49 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | WS | SLN | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.00 |
| 1959 | WS | LAN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9.3 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8.68 |
| 1956 | WS | BRO | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 12.00 |
| 1955 | WS | BRO | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 368 | 186 | 120 | 274 | 18 | 21 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | BRO | P | 21 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 1956 | BRO | P | 35 | 32 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 1957 | BRO | P | 32 | 13 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| 1958 | LAN | P | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959 | LAN | P | 29 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| 1960 | LAN | P | 21 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 1961 | LAN | P | 40 | 14 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 1962 | NYN | P | 42 | 33 | 23 | 54 | 4 | 4 |
| 1963 | NYN | P | 46 | 31 | 18 | 60 | 8 | 4 |
| 1964 | SLN | P | 39 | 19 | 13 | 37 | 1 | 2 |
| 1965 | CIN | P | 40 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 1966 | PHI | P | 14 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 368 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 12.0 | 336 | 0 |