Craig Breslow: Difference between revisions

Craig Antonio Breslow (born August 8, 1980, in New Haven, Connecticut) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who pitches for the Boston Red Sox.

He throws left handed, and is considered by some to be a lefty specialist.

Through 2006, he has held batters to a .154 batting average with runners in scoring position (and .059 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position), and lefties have hit .200 against him, with a .314 slugging percentage.

Breslow, who is Jewish, attended Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, graduating in 1998, and was a standout in soccer and baseball.

In baseball, he was the winning pitcher in the LL State Baseball championship game, playing with teammate and future 2nd round draft pick (Arizona Diamondbacks) Jamie D'Antona.

Breslow played in the Connecticut/Massachusetts All Star game at Fenway Park later that year, a foreshadowing of his days as a Red Sox pitcher.

In soccer, he helped lead the Trumbull High soccer team to their first-ever state tournament victory. He was known for having an uncanny ability to score from very difficult and wide angles, and ranks among the school's all-time scorers.

Breslo was captain of the Yale University baseball team. As a junior, he led Yale in victories (3) and ERA (2.61), striking out 66 batters in 51.2 innings (ranking 13th in the nation in strikeouts per 9 innings). He earned All-Ivy honors that season, which included a 16-strikeout performance vs. Cornell and a 1-hit shutout at Harvard. He graduated in 2002 with a BA in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.

He was drafted in the 26th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.

In 2002, Breslow ranked 5th in the Pioneer League with 6 wins, going 6-2 with a 1.82 ERA (54.1 IP) in 23 appearances out of the pen for Rookie-level Ogden. He struck out 56 in 54.1 innings, and limited the opposition to a .218 average.

In 2003 he averaged 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings for Single-A Beloit, fanning 80 batters in 65.0 innings.

In 2004 Breslow played 79 games in the Brewers system, reaching Class A California League High Desert.

The Brewers released Breslow during the 2004 season.

He then latched on with the New Jersey Jackals of the Northeast League, where he finished his 2004 season. He held batters to a .204 average, and recorded 37 strikeouts in 26.1 innings, an average of 12.6 K's per 9 innings.

Signed by the San Diego Padres in 2005 for $1, he excelled, going through Class AA Southern League Mobile, earning his first big league callup on July 23rd, 2005.

Breslow then split the rest of the season between San Diego and Class AAA Pacific Coast League Portland.

The Padres non-tendered Breslow in December 2005.

He was signed by the Red Sox, as a minor league free agent, to a minor league contract in January 2006.

In 2006, Breslow was named an International League (AAA) All-Star while with the Pawtucket Red Sox. In 67 innings of work for the season, he was 7-1 with a 2.69 ERA, and struck out an average of 10.3 batters per 9 innings. He was selected by him teammates as the PawSox Most Valuable Pitcher.

In 2005 he appeared in 14 games for the San Diego Padres, posting an ERA of 2.20.

On July 13, 2006, he was called up to the Red Sox.

His promotion made him the 4th Jewish player (in addition to Kevin Youkilis, Gabe Kapler, and Adam Stern) to play for the Red Sox that year.

Breslow was sent down to AAA after only 1.2 innings of work. He was called up for a 2nd time on August 15th, 2006.

In 12 innings with the Red Sox in 2006, he posted a 3.75 ERA and had 12 strikeouts.

As of December 2006, Breslow appeared to be one of 8 or 9 relievers vying for one open spot in the Sox' bullpen for 2007.[1] He has a split contract for 2007 ( $400,000 in the big leagues, $130,000 in the minors).[2]

His fastball tops out at 90 mph, but generally sits in high 80s, and he has added a cut fastball. He also has a plus overhand curveball (60-65 mph), an average to above-average changeup, and a 78 mph slider/slurve.

• 2006 International League All-Star
• 2006 SoxProspects.com All-Star
• 2006 Pawtucket Red Sox Most Valuable Pitcher

• Baseball Cube site
• ESPN player card
• biographical article
• scouting report
• Boston Globe 2/26/06 article
• 2006 interview