Craig Stansberry facts for kids

Craig Stansberry is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played as an infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Craig was born on March 8, 1982.

He holds a special place in MLB history. Craig was the very first player born in Saudi Arabia to play in Major League Baseball. Another player, Alex Wilson, became the second in 2013.

Craig's Baseball Journey

Even though Craig was born in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, he only lived there for about a month. His father worked for a building materials company in Saudi Arabia for three years.

High School and College Baseball

Craig went to Plano Senior High School in Texas. After high school, he played college baseball for one year at Rice University. While playing for the Owls, he was a great hitter. He had a batting average of .309. This means he got a hit almost 31% of the times he tried to hit the ball.

He also hit six home runs and had 56 RBI (Runs Batted In) in 70 games. RBI means he helped his teammates score runs. Craig helped the Owls win the College World Series championship in his only year there. This is a big championship for college baseball teams.

Becoming a Professional Player

After his successful year at Rice, Craig was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This happened in the 5th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. Being "drafted" means a professional team picks a player to join their organization. A scout named Tom Barnard signed him to play for the Pirates.

Craig played for four seasons in the Pirates' minor league system. Then, on December 20, 2006, the San Diego Padres picked him up. This happened through a process called "waivers."

Making it to the Major Leagues

Craig started the 2007 season playing for the Portland Beavers. This was the Padres' Triple-A team. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball. He was called up to the San Diego Padres on August 25, 2007. This happened when the team's regular second baseman, Marcus Giles, was injured.

At the time of his call-up, Craig was hitting .273 for the Beavers. He also had 14 home runs and ten stolen bases in 124 games. Craig made his major league debut on the same day he was called up. He entered the game as a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player.

In his very first at bat (turn to hit the ball) in the major leagues, Craig got a single. He hit the ball off Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher J. C. Romero.

Playing in China

In 2008, Craig Stansberry was part of a special event. He played in the first Major League Baseball game ever held in China. The Los Angeles Dodgers played against the San Diego Padres in Beijing, China. This was an important moment for baseball around the world.

Later Career and Records

In October 2009, Craig became a free agent. This means he was free to sign with any team. However, he decided to re-sign with the Padres. He spent the 2010 season back with the Portland Beavers.

On September 1, 2010, Craig broke a special record for the Portland Beavers. He played the most games ever for the team. He also set new club records for the most hits, doubles, and walks. He finished the 2010 season having played 531 games with Portland.

See also

• List of countries with their first Major League Baseball player