RIP baseball's Roger Craig

[HanSenSE]

Pitched with four MLB teams, giving up the first run in Mets history on a balk. Pitching coach with the Tigers when they won the World Series in 1984. Advocate for the split-fingered fastball. Managed the Padres and the Giants, leading the latter to the World Series in 1989. But, dammit, he'll alway be the Humm Baby.

 

[Octave]

Was the oldest living Met. That now passes to Willie Mays.

 

[Spartan Squad]

RIP to the Humm Baby. He’s the reason old timers wax poetic about the 80s teams.

 

[Slacker]

A great old baseball warhorse.

From WIKI: 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. ... His manager, Casey Stengel, told him, "You've gotta be good to lose that many."

 

[HanSenSE]

This Roger Craig had a lot of success at Candlestick during this era as well.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Jeffery Leonard should be a pall bearer with one flap down.

 

[dixiehack]

How many living Brooklyn Dodgers remain?

 

[micropolitan guy]

How many living Brooklyn Dodgers remain?

List of living Brooklyn Dodgers players - BR Bullpen (baseball-reference.com)

Bobby Schantz is the final living Philadelphia Athletic.

There are three living St. Louis Browns.

List of living St. Louis Browns players - BR Bullpen (baseball-reference.com).

There are no living Boston Braves. Del Crandall was the last and he died in 2021.

 

[mpcincal]

How many living Brooklyn Dodgers remain?

Here you go. Sandy Koufax is 1 of 8. Chris Haughey, who turns 98 this October, is the oldest.

List of living Brooklyn Dodgers players - BR Bullpen.

 

[dixiehack]

Alexa ain’t got **** on this board.

 

[playthrough]

Jeffery Leonard should be a pall bearer with one flap down.

And Dave Dravecky with his right arm. (sorry)

 

[ChrisLong]

Roger Craig was a Dodgers coach the first year I covered. Great guy, invaluable source. But he clashed with Lasorda, so he got fired.

 

[Tighthead]

I remember him extending or enhancing some careers teaching the split finger fastball.

 

[Songbird]

It was always "**** the Giants" ... always will be ... but I liked Roger Craig.

And the NFL Hall of Fame is a sham without Roger Craig.

 

[Liut]

On chance, once ran into Roger Craig when a riverboat he was vacationing on ported downtown. Asked if he had time for an interview.
"Sure. By the way, are there any liquor stores around here?"
It being mid-morning, I told him his best bet was a grocery store a few miles away.
Long story short, I gave Craig a ride to the store; he bought vodka and tomato juice. Drove back down to the riverfront where he gave me a 15-20 minute radio interview.
Rest in peace, sir.

 

[WolvEagle]

He was the pitching coach for the 1984 Tigers, which started 35-5 and won the World Series. What a summer that was in the Detroit area. He turned a decent pitching staff into a great pitching staff, even though the top two pitchers (Jack Morris and Willie Hernandez) were jackasses.

 

[wicked]

I figured he’d died years ago. He looked like he was 75 when he was managing the Giants. RIP.

 

[qtlaw]

Before Hmmm Baby, all we got were views of the backsides of the teams above the Giants in the standings. They were terrible. He instilled some pride and accountability to the franchise. A Great Giant. May he RIP.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I remember him extending or enhancing some careers teaching the split finger fastball.

Mike ****ing Scott, that ****ing scuffballer. #MemoriesOf1986

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Also, I just learned from Wiki that Mike Scott was the first player from a losing player to be selected an LCS MVP when he earned those honors in 1986. It happened again the next year, when the Cardinals won the pennant but the MVP went to.........Jeffrey Leonard of the Roger Craig-led Giants.