Craig Wilson
Encyclopedia
Craig Allan Wilson is a retired Major League Baseball
player. Wilson can play first base or in the outfield
. He bats and throws right-handed.
s and 82 RBI in 155 games, but posted a franchise-record 169 strikeout
s in 561 at bat
s. He led the Major Leagues at being hit by pitch
es in (21) and 2004 (30). Wilson tied the Major League single-season record for pinch-hit home runs with seven in 2001.
In , Wilson played in only 59 games as a result of two separate hand injuries that caused him to spend over half the season on the disabled list
, playing in only five games between May 6 and August 28. He ended the season with a .264 batting average
, 5 home runs, and 22 RBI in 197 at bats.
Through Wilson's career as a Pirate, he had frequently been dogged by trade rumors. In , with the acquisition of Jeromy Burnitz
, members of the Pittsburgh press asserted that the Pirates, despite Wilson's relative success, were trying to trade him. At the trade deadline of the 2006 season, Wilson was traded to the New York Yankees
for Shawn Chacon
. According to the New York Post
, at least one general manager in the National League found the deal inexplicable from the Pirates' standpoint. Voicing the opinion that Pirates GM Dave Littlefield
had undersold Wilson, the anonymous GM was quoted as saying, "We really thought Wilson was a guy a lot of AL teams would be interested in. He is a high strikeout guy, but he can hit a fastball
, damage lefty pitching, and not embarrass himself in right field or at first."
Overall in 2006, Craig batted .251 with 17 home runs and 49 RBI. Though he only batted 359 times, he struck out 122 times. The Yankees did not re-sign him, causing him to become a free agent.
The Atlanta Braves
signed Wilson to a one-year contract worth $2 million USD on January 18, . After 40 games of the 2007 season with the Braves, Wilson was granted his unconditional release on May 17, 2007, to make room for Brayan Peña
on the roster. On May 28, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox
, but ended up undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in June. Wilson was released by the White Sox at the end of the 2007 season. On February 9, 2008, Wilson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training
with the Cincinnati Reds
, but was released on February 21 after failing a physical. On April 8, 2008, he signed a minor league deal to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On July 10, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners
for a player to be named later and he became a free agent at the end of the season.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. Wilson can play first base or in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Major league career
After three years as a role player and pinch-hitter, Wilson played regularly in , hitting .264 with 29 home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 82 RBI in 155 games, but posted a franchise-record 169 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 561 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. He led the Major Leagues at being hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
es in (21) and 2004 (30). Wilson tied the Major League single-season record for pinch-hit home runs with seven in 2001.
In , Wilson played in only 59 games as a result of two separate hand injuries that caused him to spend over half the season on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, playing in only five games between May 6 and August 28. He ended the season with a .264 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 5 home runs, and 22 RBI in 197 at bats.
Through Wilson's career as a Pirate, he had frequently been dogged by trade rumors. In , with the acquisition of Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Burnitz
Jeromy Neal Burnitz is a former baseball player who was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Mets , Cleveland Indians , Milwaukee Brewers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Colorado Rockies , Chicago Cubs , and Pittsburgh Pirates .Burnitz played his...
, members of the Pittsburgh press asserted that the Pirates, despite Wilson's relative success, were trying to trade him. At the trade deadline of the 2006 season, Wilson was traded to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Shawn Chacon
Shawn Chacón
Shawn Anthony Chacón is a Major League pitcher, currently a free agent. He last played in the Majors for the Houston Astros...
. According to the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, at least one general manager in the National League found the deal inexplicable from the Pirates' standpoint. Voicing the opinion that Pirates GM Dave Littlefield
Dave Littlefield
David Littlefield is a former Major League Baseball executive. Littlefield was employed as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a position he held from July 13, 2001 to September 7, 2007. He took over as GM for Roy Smith, who had assumed the position on a temporary...
had undersold Wilson, the anonymous GM was quoted as saying, "We really thought Wilson was a guy a lot of AL teams would be interested in. He is a high strikeout guy, but he can hit a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, damage lefty pitching, and not embarrass himself in right field or at first."
Overall in 2006, Craig batted .251 with 17 home runs and 49 RBI. Though he only batted 359 times, he struck out 122 times. The Yankees did not re-sign him, causing him to become a free agent.
The Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
signed Wilson to a one-year contract worth $2 million USD on January 18, . After 40 games of the 2007 season with the Braves, Wilson was granted his unconditional release on May 17, 2007, to make room for Brayan Peña
Brayan Peña
Brayan Eduardo Peña is a catcher for the Kansas City Royals.-Early years:Peña was a member of the Cuban National 18 and under team as a youth. He graduated from Espa Julio Trigo Junior College in Costa Rica...
on the roster. On May 28, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, but ended up undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in June. Wilson was released by the White Sox at the end of the 2007 season. On February 9, 2008, Wilson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, but was released on February 21 after failing a physical. On April 8, 2008, he signed a minor league deal to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On July 10, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for a player to be named later and he became a free agent at the end of the season.