born july american professional baseball baseman outfielder boston_red_sox organization played major_league_baseball mlb boston_red_sox cardinals drafted major_league debut cardinals outfield base appeared position pitcher catcher shortstop season minor leagues finished batting average home runs career hitter mlb increased production runners scoring position posted batting average season raised figure highest average time appeared world series history world series tied record collecting hits drove game winning run player score game winning run early life amateur career born california ron raised california younger sister named parents moved 1970s secure employment addition relocating mission birth family shifted residences multiple times finally settling father early volunteer help build baseball fields ronald_reagan sports complex near california soon able swing baseball bat parents entered national ball division father coached mother served board directors participating team played games venezuela california sport standout baseball basketball senior recognized sports earned team league valley honors basketball setting school record baseball named year riverside star game earned valuable player mvp batting average home runs helped southwest league title summer played team batting runs scored effort earn bronze medal world junior championship quebec high school attended year starter california golden bears baseball team infield positions primarily playing shortstop freshman posted batting average runners scoring position earned player week honors february effort doubles grand slam runs batted rbi san_francisco versus applying time base sophomore season batted led team bases balls multi hit games honorable mention academic team year started primarily left field batted overall batted march series month later april collected hits bats days later went games honorable mention baseball team academic team career batting numbers included batting average home runs rbi season playing time played campaigns minnesota collegiate summer baseball league spent games shortstop contributed outfield base base season freshman season batted games playing time cut short injury returned junior season landmark season included game hitting streak games hit home runs doubles rbi named team shortstop college summer america team draft minor leagues cardinals drafted shortstop eighth round draft overall signed played games shortstop spending games playing base hitter showed power levels cardinal farm system hitting home runs half season span comprised bulk minor league playing time posted adjusted base plus slugging league average home runs environment primarily humid air large brought notice minor league hitters ranked cardinals prospect following season season progressed high level aaa participated games hitting home runs rbi time appeared play adequately base throwing motion raised questions play promoted minor leagues step cardinals depth chart having better regarded glove shifted outfield increased versatility playing base despite defensive transitions hitting remained steady posted base plus slugging percentage consistent hitting increased coverage prompted named cardinals system player year club added man roster november making major_league debut april spent significant time cardinals roster addition amassed games memphis batting home runs rbi slugging percentage seasons appearances memphis springfield accumulating hits bats home runs rbi cardinals big league club spring training appeared mlb game april started right field went plate cincinnati_reds hit home run july second home run came august cardinals san_francisco_giants month later hit home run defeat chicago_cubs september support bid win season total games saw plate appearances batted hit seven doubles home runs rbi apparent able hit major league pitching minor leagues situation ideal realize regular playing time occupied corner positions base left field right field positions best suited play bat lineup manager began playing second base near end june batting rbi bats suffered small knee cap fracture houston running wall tracking fly ball right field team placed disabled list expected weeks healing fracture season swelling persisted knee slowing rehabilitation regularly strengthened muscles cleared play passing battery medical tests spent extra time warming knee game return hit games ended regular season batting average doubles home runs rbi slugging percentage games cardinals playoffs year struggled games covering plate appearances philadelphia_phillies collecting hits bats delivered ahead pinch hit single game send cardinals world series world series debuted game hitting ahead pinch hit single pitcher fastball night summoned pinch hit time lined miles hour fastball right field break scoreless tie single joined players collect pinch hit rbi consecutive postseason bats joined hitters ahead hit sixth inning later consecutive world series games player ahead rbis pinch hitter world series play hitting ahead home run game caught series helping secure cardinals eleventh world series championship home run tied world series record shared game winning rbi series appeared seven games collected hits bats batting average home runs rbi slugging percentage totals postseason included slugging percentage base plus slugging knee cap fully healed elected surgery repair fracture following november despite strong performance world series exploits new manager assigned role utility player outset likes veterans stationed base outfield corners spent april disabled list recovering knee surgery returned play cardinals designated outfielder assignment room found playing time hitting home runs seven game stretch injury quickly struck pulled game san_francisco_giants landed day point convincing argument forcing way starting lineup combination prospect hitting base percentage slugging percentage thirteen games action june days later run home run allowed cardinals end game losing streak win stretch june encountered rare slump batted home run games discovered pitchers throwing games july solved opponents strategy batting rbi season total date included appearing cardinals games taking bats nonetheless tied bats catcher baseman carried batting average rbi rbi total ranked second stay september showed adept hitting runners scoring position batting average career bats fabricated consistency season finishing average rbi games ranked tenth batting seventh slugging percentage placed 19th valuable player award mvp led major batting average runners scoring position despite trips played games outfield led team starts base appeared total games departure free agency cardinals primary baseman march club announced reached agreement year contract team option sixth season million deal bought future arbitration eligible years year free agency earn million season cardinals exercised option july national_league manager selected star game field queens new_york_city reserve baseman half performance included batting home runs rbi rbi hit totals placed second fifth alumnus california golden bears named mlb star team team facing deficit game winning grand slam division rival reds august final outcome career grand slam totals seven hits bases loaded bats rbi point season batting average career batting runners scoring position leading highest time single season injury september infield hit reds prevented appearing game rest regular season time rbi eventually finished eighth despite shut early led cardinals category sportswriter dubbed rbi machine finished eighth batting average final batting average remained high highest time figure surpassed average team record spite success hitting rated wins replacement war chances returning play end season depended far cardinals extend season playoffs qualified postseason finishing best regular season record national_league kept winning playoffs defeating pittsburgh_pirates los_angeles_dodgers ready hitter time world series boston_red_sox excluded defense injury fully healed served designated hitter park boston pinch hitter stadium national_league park normally played game unusual game ending play scored tied ninth cardinals center fielder hit ground ball pitcher second baseman threw ball home catcher easily tag attempting score threw ball rounded sailed wide left field error time reaching ball recovered ball threw home plate long successfully scored umpire awarded home plate called giving cardinals walk victory known walk victory world series history cardinals lost series games batted times collected hits batting average season finished 21st mvp likely finished higher missed nearly month season injury free agent departure shifted positions replacing right field cleared way assume base started season slowly batting april batted raised boston_red_sox july traded exchange prospect optioned class years service time option minor leagues consent minors removing man roster added major league roster september skills profile minor leagues showed little time hit levels natural position spite challenge defensive abilities versatility allowed play positions major leagues pitcher shortstop catcher experiment second base early major_league career base corners outfield emerged positions best suited played shortstop amateur ball base minor leagues suited play position major leagues speed game posted fielding percentage minor league games base considered low percentage according cardinals player development executive manager arm range proved problematic base improved considered insufficient major leagues movement left restricting ability start double plays inefficient semi throwing motion resolve relied innate strength compensate time lost awards honors bold led led major leagues personal life holds degree growing favorite baseball player fan attended high school grandson tied world series consecutive pinch hit mark sister graduated played attended san california november married long time girlfriend graduate couple reside mutual hometown daughter pet gained notoriety cult following twitter account served informal mascot cardinals favorite movies major_league enjoys playing basketball played golf father introduced sport small child partnered fellow cardinals outfielder downtown proceeds benefited nonprofit organization provides health services educational challenges emotional health home crisis intervention foster care adoption adventure therapy psychological trauma recovery
Allen Craig