Harry Craft
Encyclopedia
Harry Francis Craft was an American
Major League Baseball
player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi
, he was an center fielder
for the Cincinnati Reds
from 1937–1942. Craft attended Mississippi College
, threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (83.9 kg).
, Craft was an average hitter in his short career. His best season came, basically, as a rookie (he had 42 at bat
s the previous season) in 1938. On June 15 of that year, Craft caught the ninth-inning pop fly (batted by Leo Durocher
) to make the final out in the historic game that gave Johnny Vander Meer his second consecutive no-hitter. That same season, Craft batted a solid .270 as the Reds' everyday center fielder with 15 home run
s and 83 RBIs in 151 games. He had 165 hits
that season in 612 at bats. All those numbers ended up being career-highs. The next two years were Cincinnati's best seasons as they went to the World Series
in both, winning in 1940
against the Detroit Tigers
. However, Craft did not play a large part in the victory, having only 1 at bat. He ended up with just one postseason hit, which came the year before.
On June 8, 1940, he hit for the cycle in a 23-2 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Craft joined the Navy in 1942. By the time he returned to baseball his skills had deteriorated and he never made it back to the major leagues as a player.
In six seasons, Craft had an all-time .253 batting average with 44 home runs and 267 RBIs. He accumulated 14 stolen base
s and 237 runs scored. He had 533 hits in 2104 at bats.
. He was Mickey Mantle
’s first manager in professional baseball — in 1949 with Independence
of the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
. In 1950, Craft would manage Mantle again with the Joplin Miners
in the Western Association
. Eventually, Craft progressed to the AAA level with the Kansas City Blues
of the American Association
in 1953–1954.
"I was lucky to have Harry as skipper my first two years," Mantle said years later. "He started me out right." http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Craft.Harry.Obit.html Craft would also manage Roger Maris
at the Major League level in 1958–1959 with the Kansas City Athletics
, just before the young rightfielder was traded to the Yankees. Maris credited Craft with helping him with his hitting.
after transferring from Philadelphia
, when he was named a coach
on the staff of Lou Boudreau
. After over 2½ losing seasons, Boudreau was released on August 6, 1957, and Craft was named his successor. Craft's Athletics went 23-27 to finish the season. He then lasted two more full campaigns, and , before his firing. Craft finished with a 162–196 record at Kansas City. His best finish was seventh place in the eight-team American League
.
In 1961, Craft was a member of Chicago Cubs
owner Phil Wrigley's
ill-fated College of Coaches
From 1961-65, the team had no permanent manager, and rotated the "head coach" job among its coaching staff. Craft led the Bruins for 16 games in 1961, coming out 7-9, as one of four head coaches that year. He spent the latter half of the year managing the Cubs' top farm team, the Houston Buffaloes
of the American Association.
the following year. He managed them from 1962–1964, before his replacement by Lum Harris
in the closing days of the '64 season. He ended 191-280 with the Colt .45s, never having managed an above .500 team in all or parts of seven seasons as a big league manager. He remained in the game, however, as a scout and farm system official for the Baltimore Orioles
, San Francisco Giants
and the Yankees, retiring in 1991.
Craft ended his managing career with a 360-485 record in 849 games, a .426 winning percentage
. His best finish was seventh place. The authors of The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, Brendan C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris, Little Brown & Co, 1973, had this to say about Craft's career on p. 52, perhaps unfairly given what little he had to work with on those clubs: "Of course, if you are really lousy at what you do, there's always a chance you can work your way into management, that being the American Way... Harry Craft managed three teams in a seven year span... They finished 7th, 7th, 7th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 9th. Do I detect a trend in there somewhere?"
He died after a long illness in Conroe, Texas
, at the age of 80 on Thursday, August 3, 1995. He had two children, a son, Thomas H. Craft and a daughter, Carol.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi
Ellisville, Mississippi
Ellisville is a city in Jones County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,465 at the time of the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Powhatan Ellis, a former U.S. Senator for Mississippi and descendant of Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas...
, he was an center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
from 1937–1942. Craft attended Mississippi College
Mississippi College
Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...
, threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 in 1 in (1.85 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (83.9 kg).
Playing career overview
A well-praised defensive center fielderCenter fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
, Craft was an average hitter in his short career. His best season came, basically, as a rookie (he had 42 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s the previous season) in 1938. On June 15 of that year, Craft caught the ninth-inning pop fly (batted by Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
) to make the final out in the historic game that gave Johnny Vander Meer his second consecutive no-hitter. That same season, Craft batted a solid .270 as the Reds' everyday center fielder with 15 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 83 RBIs in 151 games. He had 165 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
that season in 612 at bats. All those numbers ended up being career-highs. The next two years were Cincinnati's best seasons as they went to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in both, winning in 1940
1940 World Series
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in...
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. However, Craft did not play a large part in the victory, having only 1 at bat. He ended up with just one postseason hit, which came the year before.
On June 8, 1940, he hit for the cycle in a 23-2 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Craft joined the Navy in 1942. By the time he returned to baseball his skills had deteriorated and he never made it back to the major leagues as a player.
In six seasons, Craft had an all-time .253 batting average with 44 home runs and 267 RBIs. He accumulated 14 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s and 237 runs scored. He had 533 hits in 2104 at bats.
Mantle's first manager
Craft began his managing career in the farm system of the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He was Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
’s first manager in professional baseball — in 1949 with Independence
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
of the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League
The Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League was a name of an American minor league baseball league which was established in 1946. It existed for seven seasons.-1946:The League and all of its member teams were created...
. In 1950, Craft would manage Mantle again with the Joplin Miners
Joplin Miners
The Joplin Miners were a baseball team that lasted on and off from 1902 to 1953. They played in Joplin, Missouri. Initially, the team was known as the Colts before changing to Miners during the first season of play....
in the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
. Eventually, Craft progressed to the AAA level with the Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
in 1953–1954.
"I was lucky to have Harry as skipper my first two years," Mantle said years later. "He started me out right." http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Craft.Harry.Obit.html Craft would also manage Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
at the Major League level in 1958–1959 with the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, just before the young rightfielder was traded to the Yankees. Maris credited Craft with helping him with his hitting.
Skipper of Athletics, 'head coach' of Cubs
Craft went from the minor league Blues to the Major League Athletics in 1955, their first year in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
after transferring from Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, when he was named a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
on the staff of Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
. After over 2½ losing seasons, Boudreau was released on August 6, 1957, and Craft was named his successor. Craft's Athletics went 23-27 to finish the season. He then lasted two more full campaigns, and , before his firing. Craft finished with a 162–196 record at Kansas City. His best finish was seventh place in the eight-team American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
In 1961, Craft was a member of Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
owner Phil Wrigley's
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
ill-fated College of Coaches
College of Coaches
The College of Coaches was an unorthodox strategy employed by the Chicago Cubs in 1961 and 1962. After the Cubs finished 60-94 in 1960, their 14th straight second-division finish, Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley announced in December 1960 that the Cubs would no longer have a manager, but would be led by...
From 1961-65, the team had no permanent manager, and rotated the "head coach" job among its coaching staff. Craft led the Bruins for 16 games in 1961, coming out 7-9, as one of four head coaches that year. He spent the latter half of the year managing the Cubs' top farm team, the Houston Buffaloes
Houston Buffaloes
The Houston Buffaloes or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team that was founded in 1888, played in the Texas League in the years 1888-90, 1892, 1895-99, and 1907-1958 ; in the South Texas League in the years 1903-06; and in the American Association from 1959-61...
of the American Association.
First MLB manager for Houston
Seeking to be a manager, not a "head coach", Craft became the first skipper in the history of the expansion Houston Colt .45sHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
the following year. He managed them from 1962–1964, before his replacement by Lum Harris
Lum Harris
Chalmer Luman Harris was an American right-handed pitcher, coach, manager, and scout in Major League Baseball....
in the closing days of the '64 season. He ended 191-280 with the Colt .45s, never having managed an above .500 team in all or parts of seven seasons as a big league manager. He remained in the game, however, as a scout and farm system official for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the Yankees, retiring in 1991.
Craft ended his managing career with a 360-485 record in 849 games, a .426 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
. His best finish was seventh place. The authors of The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, Brendan C. Boyd & Fred C. Harris, Little Brown & Co, 1973, had this to say about Craft's career on p. 52, perhaps unfairly given what little he had to work with on those clubs: "Of course, if you are really lousy at what you do, there's always a chance you can work your way into management, that being the American Way... Harry Craft managed three teams in a seven year span... They finished 7th, 7th, 7th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 9th. Do I detect a trend in there somewhere?"
He died after a long illness in Conroe, Texas
Conroe, Texas
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...
, at the age of 80 on Thursday, August 3, 1995. He had two children, a son, Thomas H. Craft and a daughter, Carol.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career managing record and playing statistics