Craig Robert Hansen (born November 15, 1983) is an American former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB)

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

who played for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

between 2005 and 2009.

College career

Hansen's collegiate career began at St. John's University in , where he pitched for the St. John's Red Storm. Hansen selected St. John's over

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

, and

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New ...

. While he struggled during his freshman campaign in 2003, Hansen began to establish himself as a closer during his sophomore season in . In 2004, Hansen played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

for the

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

(CCBL). A league all-star, he posted 10 saves and 41 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. In 2018, he was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame. Hansen posted a 3-2 record with 14 saves in his junior season of 2005, registering 85

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...

s in 64

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...

, a 1.68 ERA, and was named a first-team All-American by ''

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''.

Pro career

Boston Red Sox

With the 26th pick in the first round of the

2005 Major League Baseball Draft The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. It is widely considered to be one of the bes ...

, the

selected Hansen and signed him to a four-year deal valued at $4 million. The Red Sox added him to the 40-man roster, assigning Hansen to a conditioning stint in

Fort Myers Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

before sending him to the Double-A

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox sys ...

. Hansen joined the Boston Red Sox as a late season call-up, making his major league debut on September 19 against the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...

. Hansen struck out the first man he faced, pitching a perfect inning with two strikeouts, and would make three more appearances before the end of the season. After starting the season in Portland and Pawtucket, Hansen was recalled on June 6 by the Red Sox. On June 26, Hansen earned his first major league win in an extra-inning game against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. On August 20, Hansen entered a tie game against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

in the 10th inning only to allow a game-winning home run to

Jason Giambi Jason Gilbert Giambi (; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yan ...

and a two-run home run to

Jorge Posada Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...

. Hansen would end the season with a 6.63 ERA. During

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

for the season, manager

Terry Francona Terrence Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito", is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox fo ...

suggested that the team may have rushed Hansen to the majors too quickly. In 2007 at Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

, he went 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA but did not get a promotion to the eventual World Series Champion Red Sox. Hansen also played in the developmental

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...

to get extra work in after missing some of the season with forearm tenderness. During the off-season, Hansen underwent surgery in the hopes of correcting the sleep apnea condition that may have affected his stamina and pitching performance. Hansen reported to Red Sox spring training in and initial reports suggested that the team was impressed with his performance. On July 31, 2008, Hansen was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder / first baseman / designated hitter (DH). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelp ...

in a three-team deal that sent

Manny Ramirez Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

to the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

and

Jason Bay Jason Raymond Bay (born September 20, 1978) is a Canadian-American former professional baseball left fielder. Bay played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Seattle ...

to the Boston Red Sox.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On August 27, 2008, the Pirates optioned Hansen to AAA (

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened ...

). This move was made after Hansen allowed four earned runs without recording an out against the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

the previous night. Hansen was recalled to the Pirates on September 2. In 2009, Hansen was diagnosed with brachial plexus neuropathy, a rare condition causing pain, weakness, and numbness in the arms, shoulders, and upper back. Recovery is usually complete, but can take as long as five years. Hansen was able to pitch in a limited number of minor league games in 2010, but was not at full effectiveness, and the Pirates released him in early 2011.

New York Mets

Hansen signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

on July 24, 2012. The Mets released Hansen in March 2013.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Craig 1983 births Living people Boston Red Sox players Pittsburgh Pirates players Baseball players from New York (state) Major League Baseball pitchers Sportspeople from Glen Cove, New York St. John's Red Storm baseball players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Portland Sea Dogs players Pawtucket Red Sox players Indianapolis Indians players Bradenton Marauders players Altoona Curve players Brooklyn Cyclones players Savannah Sand Gnats players Harwich Mariners players Glen Cove High School alumni