Longtime SF Giants manager Roger Craig passes away at 93

Sadly, the SF Giants announced that longtime skipper Roger Craig passed away on Sunday. He was 93.

Longtime SF Giants manager Roger Craig passes away at 93

Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group posted the statement by Giants president and Chief Executive Office Larry Baer:

Craig had a remarkably long career in baseball. He debuted as a 25-year-old with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955, posting a 2.78 ERA in 21 appearances, including 10 starts. Back then, it was not uncommon for pitchers to go the entire distance as Craig tallied three complete games in his 10 starts that season.

The right-handed pitcher appeared in 13 seasons, registering a 74-98 record with a 3.83 ERA and 58 complete games, including seven shutouts. He pitched for the Dodgers, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and the Philadelphia Phillies before retiring after the 1966 season. As a player, he won three World Series rings - two with the Dodgers (1955 and 1959) and one with the Cardinals (1964).

Craig never got far from the game after retirement. He worked as a scout (1967) and manager (1968) of the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He served as the first pitching coach in San Diego Padres history and worked as a coach for the better part of the next 15 seasons with the Padres, Houston Astros, and the Detroit Tigers. This included a two-year stint as the skipper of the Padres.

Of course, Craig returned to managing, becoming the Giants ' skipper with 18 games to go in the 1985 season after he replaced Jim Davenport. The early 1980's were a rough period for the Giants, which included a 100-loss season in 1985.

However, Craig's arrival coincided with the emergence of an excellent era in franchise history. Will Clark, Matt Williams, and Robby Thompson rose up through the minors to lead the Giants along with the additions of Kevin Mitchell and Rick Reuschel among others. Craig coined the term "humm baby," which was often associated with the Giants teams of that era.

By the time 1989 rolled around, the Giants made it to the World Series thanks to an unforgettable performance by Clark against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. The Giants did not win that series, but continued to field competitive teams until his dismissal after the 1992 season.

The Giants were purchased by a new ownership group led by Peter Magowan, who tabbed Dusty Baker as Craig's successor. Craig finished his Giants managing career with 586 wins, which places him behind Baker (840 wins) and Bruce Bochy (1,052 wins) for the third-most wins by a Giants manager since they moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. We at Around the Foghorn would like to extend our deepest condolences to Craig's friends and family as they mourn his passing.