Craig Breslow
From BR Bullpen
Craig Andrew Breslow
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
- School Yale University
- High School Trumbull High School
- Debut July 23, 2005
- Born August 8, 1980 in New Haven, CT USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Craig Breslow was 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA as a college junior for Yale University, striking out 66 in 52 innings. He was third in the Ivy League in ERA; the rest of the Bulldogs' staff was 3-12. Yale was only 5-15 in 2002 and Craig was just 1-5 despite a 2.56 ERA, second in the league and best of any starter.
Breslow was the 26th pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2002 amateur draft and was assigned to the Ogden Raptors, where he went 6-2 with a 1.82 ERA and two saves, striking out 56 and allowing 42 hits in 54 innings over 23 games out of the bullpen.
With the 2003 Beloit Snappers, Craig went 3-4 with two saves and a 5.12 ERA in 33 outings, but did strike out 80 in 65 innings. He was 1-3 with a 7.19 for the High Desert Mavericks in 2004 and was let go. Signing with the independent New Jersey Jackals later in the year, Breslow was 3-1 with one save and a 4.10 ERA, fanning 37 in 26 innings.
Signing with the San Diego Padres for 2005, Craig was 2-1, 2.75 for the Mobile BayBears, allowing a .212 average in 52 innings over 40 outings and striking out 47, walking 17. He was 0-1 in 7 games for the Portland Beavers, allowing a 4.00 ERA, and appeared for San Diego in 14 outings, striking out 14 in 16 1/3 IP but with 15 hits and 13 walks. His ERA was 2.20 and he had no decisions for the Padres. He became the 24th Yalie to play in Major League Baseball
Going to the Boston Red Sox system in 2006, Breslow failed to make the team out of spring training and began the year with the Pawtucket Red Sox, where he was 7-1, 2.69 in 39 games with 7 saves and 77 strikeouts in 67 innings. That earned him a ticket to Boston at the end of the season, where he had his first two decisions in the majors - both losses - 13 games, with an ERA of 3.75. He spent all of 2007 with Pawtucket, going 2-3, 4.06 in 49 games, including his only professional start. He was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians after failing to make the Sox's staff out of spring training in 2008, and made 7 appearances with the Indians before being put on waivers again. This time, the Minnesota Twins claimed him and gave him a home in their bullpen for the remainder of the 2008 season, giving him 42 appearances in which his ERA was a sparkling 1.63. Overall, he went 0-2, 1.91 in 49 games that year, earning his first major league save.
In 2009, Breslow was hit hard in 17 games for the Twins, giving up 10 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings for a 6.28 ERA. He did earn his first major league victory during that stretch, but still ended up on waivers for the third time in a little over a year, being claimed by the Oakland Athletics. There he was able to right the ship, and moving out of a LOOGY role, had a 7-5 record with a 2.60 ERA in 60 games, securing a long-term spot in the A's bullpen. In 2010, he went 4-4, 3.01 in 75 games and picked up 5 saves. He was back with the A's in 2011, when he went 0-2, 3.79 in 67 games. On December 9th, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks along with Trevor Cahill for Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill and Ryan Cook.
Sources: 2002-2006 Baseball Almanacs, column by Jonathan Mayo in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, 5/4/2006
