Giants manager and pitching coach for the Padres, Roger Craig, passes away at age 93.
Prior to spending eight MLB seasons coaching the San Francisco Giants, Roger Craig was a manager for the San Diego Padres. He passed away on Sunday, at the age of 93.
According to a Giants representative, the organisation learned of Craig’s passing on Sunday in San Diego after a brief illness from a family member.
In the 1955 World Series, Craig led the Dodgers to a 3-2 lead by starting and winning Game 5 against the Yankees. After taking a lot of hits in his following two series (1956 and 1959), he bounced back in the 1964 Fall Classic, winning Game 4 for the Cardinals by striking out eight in 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Despite his accomplishments as a team player, Craig was also familiar with the feeling of being in last place. In 1962, he began the opening game for the newly formed Mets, an 11-4 loss in St. Louis. He led New York with 10 victories on a laughingstock team that finished a miserable 40-120. In 1962–63, he led the majors in losses while playing for the Mets, going 15–46.
After his playing career ended, Craig rose to prominence as a pitching coach for the San Diego Padres, helping them to an 84-78 record in 1978—a 15-game gain over the previous campaign. In 1979, after the Padres went 68-93, he was let go as manager. Along with coaching the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, he was well-known for telling his players to “humm, baby” in a low southern drawl.
In 1978, Craig secured his first position as a major-level manager with the Padres. At 84-78, he led them to their first winning record as a team and a 15-win improvement over the previous campaign. However, in 1979, he was sacked after going 68-93.
