Craig Bjornson

Craig M. Bjornson (born February 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball player and current coach. He played in minor league baseball, and has coached in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros.

Career

Bjornson attended Tucson High School^[1] and Nicholls State University, where he pitched for the Nicholls State Colonels baseball team. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Astros in 1991. He played in the Astros' minor league organization as a pitcher until 1993, pitching for the Gulf Coast Astros, Burlington Astros, Asheville Tourists, Auburn Astros, and Quad Cities River Bandits. In total, he had a 9-18 win–loss record with a 3.82 earned run average in 81 appearances (27 starts) with a complete game and three saves.^[2]

Bjornson served as a minor league pitching coach for the Spokane Indians in 2002, the Vermont Lake Monsters in 2003 and 2005, the Brevard County Manatees in 2004, the Ogden Raptors in 2007 and 2007, and the Casper Ghosts from 2009 through 2011. From 2000 through 2003, he coached for the Occidente Pastora de los Llanos of the Venezuelan Winter League.^[2]

Bjornson was hired to be the bullpen coach of the Astros for the 2012 season.^[2]

Following the hiring of Bo Porter as manager for the 2013 season, Bjornson was reassigned as a roving pitching instructor and replaced as bullpen coach by Dennis Martínez.^[3] The Astros reinstated Bjornson as their bullpen coach for the 2014 season.^[4]

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)