Craig Hansen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boston Red Sox — No. 56 | |
| Relief Pitcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
|---|---|
| September 19, 2005 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
|
| Record | 2-2 |
| Strikeouts | 33 |
| ERA | 6.59 |
| Former teams | |
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Craig Robert Hansen (born November 15, 1983 in Glen Cove, New York) is a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
Hansen, the closer out of St. John's University, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2005 draft. Boston signed Hansen to a four-year deal valued at $4 million, adding him to the 40-man roster.
The 6-foot-5 23-year-old, who reportedly can reach 97 to 98 miles per hour and mix in a hard slider, posted a 3-2 record with 14 saves for St. John's in 2005, registering 85 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. Named a first-team All-American by Baseball America, Hansen was flawless in his senior season, with an 8-0 record and a 0.00 ERA.
Hansen produced speculation that he might be able to help the Boston bullpen during the 2005 season and joined the Red Sox as a late call-up. He made his major league debut on September 19, following a conditioning stint in Fort Myers and with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He struck out the first man he faced, pitching a perfect inning with two K's. He then went on to pitch fairly well for the remainder of the season.
Hansen started 2006 in Portland and was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket before being recalled by Boston on June 6. Hansen was optioned June 10 and recalled by Boston June 19. Seven days later, Hansen got his first major league win when he beat the Philadelphia Phillies in an extra-inning game.
He was later demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket, after giving up a game-winning homerun to Jason Giambi and later a two-run homerun to Jorge Posada in the 10th inning of a devastating loss to the New York Yankees. In the 10 appearances prior to his demotion, Hansen had surrendered 16 runs over 10 1/3 innings for an 11.32 ERA.
2006 was a disappointing year for Hansen, posting a 6.63 ERA for the year. With Jonathan Papelbon entering the Red Sox starting rotation in 2007, many fans and Boston sportswriters are hoping he can find a measure of the success he enjoyed in Pawtucket and Portland and emerge as Boston's ace reliever.
