Former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roger Craig, who won two World Series championships with the franchise, passed away on Sunday at the age of 93.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened to hear of the passing of former Dodger pitcher Roger Craig, who won two World Series championships and was the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the 1955 Fall Classic,” the team said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the Craig family and his friends.”
Craig pitched in parts of seven seasons with the Dodgers from 1955-1961, compiling a 49-38 record, 3.73 ERA, 4.18 FIP and 1.31 WHIP over 814 innings across 187 games (103 starts).
Craig was part of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ only World Series championship team in 1955 and earned the win in Game 5 against the New York Yankees. He also pitched in the club’s final game in Brooklyn before their move to L.A. at the end of the 1957 season.
After spending most of the 1958 campaign with Triple-A St. Paul, Craig returned to the Dodgers rotation the following season and enjoyed a career year, going 11-5 with a 2.06 ERA in 29 games (17 starts).
Craig won another World Series with the Dodgers in 1959 and spent two more years on the team before getting selected by the New York Mets in the National League expansion draft.
He pitched in the Mets’ first game during the 1962 season and unfortunately had the distinct honor of going on to set a record with 18 consecutive losses over parts of two years. Craig was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 and won his third championship as a player that year.
Craig then played two more seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring. After his playing career, the Dodgers hired Cirag as a scout in 1967.
He managed Double-A Albuquerque in 1968, then served as a pitching coach with the San Diego Padres (1969–1972, 1976–1977), Houston Astros (1974–1975) and Detroit Tigers (1980-1984).
Craig also managed the Padres from 1978-1979, and later, the San Francisco Giants (1985-92), with whom he led to an NL pennant during the 1989 season.
Surviving members of 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series team
Craig’s passing leaves Sandy Koufax and Carl Erskine as the only surviving members of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series team.
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