Craig Perkins

Craig Dorian Perkins

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lb.

• School University of Southern California
• High School Western High School (Anaheim)

• Born June 23, 1949 in Los Angeles, CA USA

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Craig Perkins played for the USA national baseball team and in the minor leagues. While he was an All-Star in AAA, he never made into a major league game.

Perkins was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 22nd round of the 1967 Amateur Draft, but he didn't sign and went to college. He represented the USA in the 1970 Amateur World Series, winning a Silver Medal. He homered in the title game when USC won the 1970 College World Series. The Kansas City Royals picked him in the 14th round of the 1971 Amateur Draft, and he hit .299/.410/.493 in 65 games for the Billings Mustangs in his first season. He was 5th in the Pioneer League in average (between David Landress and Steve Staggs), 4th in OBP (between Steve Stroughter and Scott Wolfe), 4th in slugging (between Staggs and John Balaz), 5th in OPS (between Stroughter and Wolfe), tied Jerry Mufsid for 10th in runs (39), tied for 6th in doubles (11), was second in homers (10, 4 behind Balaz), second with 49 RBI (two shy of Balaz), 6th in walks (43), tied Skaggs for second in sac flies (5) and led catchers in fielding (.984), putouts (496), assists (50) and double plays (4). He was named the loop's All-Star backstop, alongside Dom Gaudioso.

The Los Angeles native then recorded a .268/.378/.452 batting line for the San Jose Bees in 1972, but he struggled with the Waterloo Royals as his batting line fell to .181/.239/.241 in 31 games. His 13 homers were 4th in the Royals chain. Perkins bounced back in 1973 and hit .256/.314/.392 with 9 homers for the Jacksonville Suns (leading Southern League backstops with 437 putouts and 43 assists) , then his batting line was .241/.357/.338 in 96 games there in 1974. He was promoted to AAA in 1975, and he crushed 9 homers with a .242/.295/.403 batting line for the Omaha Royals, backing up John Wathan. Perkins then hit .283/.314/.469 in Omaha in 1976, and he also played 39 games with a .270/.372/.452 batting line for the Suns. His 11 dingers tied for 9th in the KC minor leagues.

He improved to .313/.410/.548 with 11 homers at Omaha in 1977, and he was named one of the 1977 American Association All-Star catchers, alongside Lance Parrish. He would've been 6th in the AA in average had he qualified, between Jerry White and Frank Ortenzio. He would've been 6th in OBP, between Rudy Meoli and Ortenzio, and 5th in OPS (between Clint Hurdle and Dave Revering). The 1977 Royals, though, won over 100 games with Darrell Porter, Wathan and Buck Martinez at catcher. He split time between the Royals and the Denver Bears (affiliated with the Montreal Expos) in 1978, and he hit .275/.379/.502 with 18 homers combined. He was one homer shy of making the top-ten; every other player with at least 14 would spend time in the big leagues. Keith Moreland was named the All-Star catcher. After being blocked by Porter, he was now blocked by an even better player, Gary Carter, a classic case of someone who would've found MLB time had he been in a different organization. However, Perkins became the bullpen catcher for the Bears and only played 32 games combined in the next four seasons. By 1982, he was an insurance salesman and part-time player and he would not appear after that year.

After baseball, he worked in financial services for decades.