Every one of us has an epoch of firsts: steps, words, San Francisco Giants manager. Roger Craig was my first, and with his passing yesterday at the age of 93, I thought it’d be appropriate to write up what he meant to me and, I suspect, others in my age cohort. This won’t be a proper obituary or even a teary recollection. I have neither the skill or sentimentality to do either, but Roger Craig made an impression on me.
Roger Craig was the 33rd manager in team history, and from 1985-1992, he led the Giants to 586 wins against 566 losses with two memorable playoff runs (1987 and 1989).