Matt Craig
Encyclopedia
Matthew James Craig is a Minor League Baseball
first baseman
and third baseman
with the Florida Marlins
organization. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs
in 2002 in the third round after playing three years for the University of Richmond
Spiders. Craig's description of himself is a "switch hitter ... that can play first and third, and can hit for a good average and [has] some power."
. Craig is a switch-hitter, and throws right-handed. At the end of the 2008 season, the 27-year-old Craig had only had brief stints at the Triple-A level, never appearing on a 40-man roster with four years of play at the Double-A level.
, one of the single A affiliates of the Cubs. Craig moved up the Cubs minor league system, playing for the Daytona Cubs
and the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
during the 2003-07 seasons, and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs
on July 25, 2007 based on his strong performance with the Smokies including a .514 slugging percentage.
Craig was one of seven Cubs minor league players who were suspended for 15 games at the beginning of the 2005 season for testing positive for a banned substance. Craig appealed his suspension, but it was not overturned despite third-party drug tests coming back negative. As a result of this experience, Craig has taken considerable steps to clear his name by voluntarily taking drug tests. Since the 2005 suspensions, the Cubs organization has had no players given a suspension as a result of intentional work to educate the players and raise their awareness of possible banned substances.
Following strong performance with West Tennessee in 2005, the Cubs recognizing their depth in Craig's primary positions of first and third base, decided to retrain Craig as a catcher and sent him back to Daytona where he never suited up behind the plate. Matt Craig was named PCL Batter of the Week for the week of August 6–12, for a week which included an average of .522, nine RBIs, 2 home runs and a slugging percentage of .957 and to the All Star Game. Craig spent the 2008 season with the Tennessee Smokies and Iowa Cubs, including time spent on the DL list. Craig spent most of 2008 Minor League camp with the Iowa AAA franchise, but received a call from the Cub's vice president for player personnel, Oneri Fleita, at the end of camp informing him that he was going back to the Smokies, but after batting .352 as of June 1, was promoted to the AAA [Iowa Cubs] where he primarily served as a pinch hitter batting .276 over 36 games.
Craig became a free agent at the end of the 2008 season. While Craig has indicated that he'd like to stay with the Cubs, he has spent what has been described as "an eternity in the minors" as part of the Cubs franchise over the last six years despite strong stats, including a career batting average over .280, and outperforming other players. Scouts and sports commentators have noted Craig's versatility as a fielder, playing first base, third base and occasionally shortstop as well as his consistent offensive performance making Craig likely to be signed by another club. Despite being described as the headliner of the Cubs free agents, it is unlikely that the Cubs will resign Craig due to their depth at his positions.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
with the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
organization. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 2002 in the third round after playing three years for the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
Spiders. Craig's description of himself is a "switch hitter ... that can play first and third, and can hit for a good average and [has] some power."
Biography
A six-foot three-inch two hundred pound corner infielder, Craig attended Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, TexasAddison, Texas
Addison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
. Craig is a switch-hitter, and throws right-handed. At the end of the 2008 season, the 27-year-old Craig had only had brief stints at the Triple-A level, never appearing on a 40-man roster with four years of play at the Double-A level.
Career
Craig played for three seasons at Richmond, batting .375 with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs in just 66 games in 2002. After being drafted by the Cubs, he was assigned to the Boise HawksBoise Hawks
The Boise Hawks are a minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs and play in the Short-Season Class A Northwest League.-History:...
, one of the single A affiliates of the Cubs. Craig moved up the Cubs minor league system, playing for the Daytona Cubs
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...
and the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
The Jackson Generals are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The team is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and plays their home games at Pringles Park; opened in 1998, the park currently holds 6,000 fans.From their inaugural season...
during the 2003-07 seasons, and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
on July 25, 2007 based on his strong performance with the Smokies including a .514 slugging percentage.
Craig was one of seven Cubs minor league players who were suspended for 15 games at the beginning of the 2005 season for testing positive for a banned substance. Craig appealed his suspension, but it was not overturned despite third-party drug tests coming back negative. As a result of this experience, Craig has taken considerable steps to clear his name by voluntarily taking drug tests. Since the 2005 suspensions, the Cubs organization has had no players given a suspension as a result of intentional work to educate the players and raise their awareness of possible banned substances.
Following strong performance with West Tennessee in 2005, the Cubs recognizing their depth in Craig's primary positions of first and third base, decided to retrain Craig as a catcher and sent him back to Daytona where he never suited up behind the plate. Matt Craig was named PCL Batter of the Week for the week of August 6–12, for a week which included an average of .522, nine RBIs, 2 home runs and a slugging percentage of .957 and to the All Star Game. Craig spent the 2008 season with the Tennessee Smokies and Iowa Cubs, including time spent on the DL list. Craig spent most of 2008 Minor League camp with the Iowa AAA franchise, but received a call from the Cub's vice president for player personnel, Oneri Fleita, at the end of camp informing him that he was going back to the Smokies, but after batting .352 as of June 1, was promoted to the AAA [Iowa Cubs] where he primarily served as a pinch hitter batting .276 over 36 games.
Craig became a free agent at the end of the 2008 season. While Craig has indicated that he'd like to stay with the Cubs, he has spent what has been described as "an eternity in the minors" as part of the Cubs franchise over the last six years despite strong stats, including a career batting average over .280, and outperforming other players. Scouts and sports commentators have noted Craig's versatility as a fielder, playing first base, third base and occasionally shortstop as well as his consistent offensive performance making Craig likely to be signed by another club. Despite being described as the headliner of the Cubs free agents, it is unlikely that the Cubs will resign Craig due to their depth at his positions.