Craig Breslow: Difference between revisions

Craig Andrew Breslow (born August 8, 1980, in New Haven, Connecticut) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist.

Through 2008, he held major league batters to a .163 batting average with runners in scoring position (and .116 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position), and lefties hit only .188 against him,^[1] with a .256 slugging percentage.

Breslow was given the nickname "smartest man in baseball" by Minneapolis Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal.^[2]

When Breslow was 12 years old, his sister Lesley -- two years older -- was diagnosed with pediatric thyroid cancer. This experience led Breslow to take an interest in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Later in life, Breslow formed a non-profit foundation to help children with cancer. His sister in 2008 was a 15-year cancer survivor.[1]

Breslow 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 Arizona Diamondbacks 2nd round draft pick, Jamie D'Antona. As a senior in high school, Breslow played in the Connecticut/Massachusetts All-Star game at Fenway Park.

In soccer, he helped lead Trumbull High 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.

Breslow was captain of the Yale University baseball team.[2] As a junior, he led Yale in victories (3) and ERA (2.61, 3rd in the Ivy League), 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 B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.^[3]

He was drafted in the 26th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.^[4]

Breslow became the first former Bulldog since Ron Darling to reach the "Show" when he made his debut with San Diego in 2005.[3]

Breslow earned the nickname "smartest man in baseball" by Minneapolis Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal.^[5]

In 2002, Breslow ranked fifth in the Pioneer League with six wins, going 6-2 with a 1.82 ERA (54.1 IP) in 23 appearances out of the pen for the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors. 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 the Single-A Beloit Snappers, fanning 80 batters in 65.0 innings.

In 2004, Breslow played 79 games in the Brewers system, reaching the Class A California League High Desert Mavericks. The Brewers released Breslow during the 2004 season.

Breslow completed the 2004 season pitching for the New Jersey Jackals of the Northeast League, an independent baseball league. He held batters to a .204 average and recorded 37 strikeouts in 26.1 innings, an average of 12.6 Ks per 9 innings.^[6]

Signed by the San Diego Padres in 2005, he excelled, playing for the Class AA Southern League Mobile BayBears, allowing a .212 average in 52 innings over 40 outings while striking out 47 and walking 17 with a 2.75 ERA, earning his first big league callup on July 23, 2005. He was mistaken for the team batboy during his first day with the Padres.[4] He became the 24th Yalie to play in Major League Baseball and the first to reach the major leagues since Ron Darling.^[7]

Breslow then split the rest of the season between San Diego, for whom he had a 2.20 ERA in 14 games, and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Portland Beavers.

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 his teammates as the PawSox Most Valuable Pitcher. He was promoted to Boston in the second half of the season, making him the fourth Jewish player (in addition to Kevin Youkilis, Gabe Kapler, and Adam Stern) to play for the Red Sox that year.

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

Off the field, he helped Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett win a bet against catcher Doug Mirabelli. Breslow calculated how many times a baseball spins when it's thrown 90 miles an hour from the pitcher's mound to the home plate.^[8] "Josh wanted to know if I could figure out how many times a baseball spins on the way to the plate," Breslow said. "There's a lot of variables, but I put in some figures and came up with answers for a fastball, curve, or slider. It's rather simple once you do it."[5]

Breslow earned a trip to the Triple-A All-Star game in July for the second straight season for the Pawtucket Red Sox. At the end of June, Breslow’s ERA was 1.55. But his final numbers for 2007 were 2-3, 4.06 ERA, 25 walks, 73 strikeouts in 68 innings. He was promoted to Boston on September 1, 2007, but did not make an appearance and was sent back to Pawtucket on September 2 to make room on the team roster for Jon Lester.^[9]

Through 2007, he held major league batters to a .154 batting average with runners in scoring position (and .059 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position), and lefties hit .200 against him, with a .314 slugging percentage.

On March 23, 2008, Breslow was claimed off outright waivers ^[10][11] by the Cleveland Indians and was added to the 40-man roster.^[1][4] Breslow was out of minor league options, so the Indians had to keep him on their big league club out of camp, or expose him to waivers again.^[12] Breslow won the final spot on the Indians' Opening Day roster.[6]

"He's strong," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "I want to be able to use him two innings. He's done that--if you look at his innings pitched the last couple of years versus appearances."[7]

On May 23, after pitching in 9 games, Breslow was designated for assignment.[8]

On May 29, 2008, the Minnesota Twins claimed Breslow off waivers. In 42 games for the Twins Breslow had a 1.63 ERA, and gave up only 24 hits in 38.7 innings. Lefties hit only .183 against him, with a .232 slugging percentage, and in save situations batters batted only .100 against him, with a .100 slugging percentage.

Breslow's aggregate 2008 ERA of 1.91 in 47 innings was 9th-best in the American League of all pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched.[9]

Breslow's 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.^[13][3]

• 2005 Southern League All-Star
• 2006 International League All-Star
• 2006 SoxProspects.com All-Star
• 2006 Pawtucket Red Sox Most Valuable Pitcher
• 2007 International League All-Star

Breslow in 2008 started the Strike 3 Foundation, a non-profit charity that raises awareness, support, and funding for pediatric cancer research, and which has teamed up with CureSearch, which unites the National Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest childhood cancer research organization.^[7][10] Breslow hopes to hold annual events in New Haven and Minnesota, as well as in Florida during spring training.[11]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Breslow PawSox '07 stats
• Meet Craig Breslow (Minnesota Public Radio)
• Hardball Times stats
• 1/30/06 interview
• 2/26/06 Boston Globe article
• "Minor League's Top Jewish Prospects," 5/10/06
• "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08
• Baseball Reference minor league statistics
• "Red Sox Give Breslow Glimmer of Hope," 2/24/07
• "Pitcher's route to Sox quite unusual route; Relief pitcher Breslow has degree from Yale," 3/10/07
• "Buchholz no-no becomes high point, and ending, for Breslow in 2007," 9/5/07
• "Meet Craig Breslow," 6/6/08
• "CT major leaguer builds cancer foundation," 10/8/08