Craig Breslow
Craig Andrew Breslow is an American baseball executive and former professional baseball pitcher. He is currently the Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox. Breslow pitched for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Miami Marlins. He also pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Breslow was selected in the 26th round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, and debuted in MLB with the Padres in 2005. He made his final MLB appearance during the 2017 season. As of the end of the 2018 season, he ranked fourth among all active left-handed MLB pitchers in career appearances.
As a senior at Yale University, where he majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Breslow led the Ivy League with a 2.56 earned run average. During his MLB career, he was called the "smartest man in baseball" by reporters at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. In 2010, the Sporting News named him the smartest athlete on their top 20 list.
Early life
Breslow was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in Trumbull, Connecticut. He is Jewish, and attended Hebrew school. His family attended Congregation B'nai Israel in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he had his bar mitzvah in 1993. He has fasted while pitching on Yom Kippur, and noted: "Being Jewish is more difficult in baseball... but I try to do what I can in terms of paying attention to holidays."Breslow's father Abe Breslow, an All-American soccer player in college, is a teacher and the former department chair in Physical Education and Health, and boys tennis coach and girls soccer coach, at Trumbull High School. His mother, Ann Breslow, is a math teacher in Bridgeport.
In 1992, when Breslow was 12 years old, his sister Lesley—two years older—was diagnosed with pediatric thyroid cancer, for which she had surgery to remove all of her thyroid gland. "Something as traumatic as that has a lasting impact," Breslow said. "It confirmed my interest . Being a doctor went from being a prestigious profession to something that changes people's lives." The 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.
During his playing career, he was listed at and. In 2014, he was inducted into the Fairfield County, Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame.
High school
Breslow attended Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, graduating in 1998. He was a standout in baseball and soccer, and served as team captain in both sports during his senior year.In baseball, he was the winning pitcher in the Class LL State Baseball championship game, playing with teammate and future Arizona Diamondbacks second round draft pick and major league infielder, Jamie D'Antona. He also played in little league with future major league pitcher Charlie Morton. As a senior in high school, Breslow played in the Connecticut/Massachusetts All-Star game at Fenway Park. He was named to the 1998 New Haven Register All-Area team.
In soccer, he helped lead Trumbull High to their first-ever state tournament victory. In 1997, he was named to the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Boys First-Team Soccer Team. 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. Scholastically he excelled as well, scoring 1420 on his SAT exam.
College
Breslow graduated from Yale University in 2002 with a double major B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, and gained admission to the NYU School of Medicine, which he deferred.Breslow was captain of the Yale Bulldogs baseball team in the Ivy League. As a freshman in 1999, he pitched for the Middletown Giants of the New England Collegiate Baseball League; in November 2013 he was inducted into the NECBL's Hall of Fame. As a junior, he led Yale with three victories and led the Ivy League with a 2.61 earned run average, striking out 66 batters in innings. He earned All-Ivy honors that season, which included a 16-strikeout performance vs. Cornell, and a one-hit shutout at Harvard. As a senior, he led the Ivy League with a 2.56 ERA.
In 2002, Breslow was named a Jewish Sports Review College Baseball First Team All-American, along with future major leaguers Sam Fuld and Adam Greenberg.
Breslow was drafted in the 26th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Breslow deferred acceptance to the New York University School of Medicine because of his "love of the game". As of July 2017, he had deferred his acceptance to the medical school four times, as he continued to play baseball.
Breslow reached the major leagues in 2005, the first Yale graduate to do so since Ron Darling. He pitched his first game for San Diego on July 23, 2005. Breslow was also one of six Ivy Leaguers on major league rosters at the beginning of the 2009 season. In 2012, Breslow and catcher Ryan Lavarnway became the first Yale grads to be Major League teammates since 1949, and the first All-Yale battery in the major leagues since 1883.
Professional career
Milwaukee Brewers organization (2002–2004)
In 2002, Breslow ranked fifth in the Pioneer League with six wins, going 6–2 with a 1.82 ERA in 23 appearances out of the pen for the Rookie-level Ogden Raptors. He struck out 56 in innings, and limited the opposition to a.218 average. In 2003, he averaged strikeouts per nine innings for the Single-A Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League, fanning 80 batters in 65 innings.In 2004, Breslow made 23 relief appearances with the Single-A High Desert Mavericks of the California League, going 1–3 with a 7.19 ERA. The Brewers released Breslow during the 2004 season.
After his release, Breslow took the Medical College Admission Test and scored a 34, and applied to NYU Medical School. Though the medical school accepted him, they would only let him start if he agreed to stop playing baseball. "I wasn't ready to give it up", he said. "I thought I could still get guys out." In 2013, he was undecided as to whether after his baseball career ended, he would attend medical school or alternatively become involved in the operational side of baseball.
Northeast League (2004)
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 innings, an average of 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.San Diego Padres organization (2005)
Signed by the San Diego Padres in 2005 for $1 out of a tryout camp, Breslow excelled, getting $1,500 after making the Double-A 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. He earned his first big league callup on July 23, 2005. He was mistaken for the team batboy during his first day with the Padres. Breslow became the 24th Yalie to play in Major League Baseball and the first to reach the major leagues since Ron Darling. "It wasn't until I was playing baseball in the big leagues that I thought I could play baseball in the big leagues", he said.Breslow then split the rest of the season between San Diego and the Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. In 14 relief appearances with San Diego, Breslow posted a 2.20 ERA without recording a decision. The Padres non-tendered Breslow on December 21, 2005.
Boston Red Sox organization (2006–2007)
2006
Breslow signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on February 1, 2006.In 2006, Breslow was named an International League 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 nine 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. In 13 relief appearances with the Red Sox in 2006, Breslow went 0–2 and posted a 3.75 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. He played in one game for the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2013.
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 home plate. "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."
2007
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. He struggled to end the season, finishing 2–3 with a 4.06 ERA, 25 walks, 73 strikeouts in 49 relief appearances. 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. Breslow was added to the postseason roster, and has a ring from winning the 2007 World Series — without pitching a game in the majors that year.Cleveland Indians (2008)
On March 23, 2008, Breslow was claimed off outright waivers by the Cleveland Indians and was added to the 40-man roster. 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. Breslow won the final spot on the Indians' Opening Day roster. "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."On May 23, after pitching in seven games and recording a 3.24 ERA, Breslow was designated for assignment.