#99 – Matt Craig
Southern Maryland (2010)
DH/1B/3B
Matt Craig wasn’t here for a long-time, but he was definitely here for a good time. It was a good time that was at the expense of a whole bunch of bad times for Atlantic League pitchers. Matt Craig was a 3rd round draft pick of the Cubs out of the University of Richmond in 2002. After performing well but falling victim to positional depth in the Cubs organization and a brief stint in the Marlins’ system, Craig returned to his college home of Delmarva in 2010, signing with Southern Maryland. Primarily a DH at this point, Matt registered 3.6 oWAR in 104 games on the back of a .323/.422/.521 slash line, a 144 OPS+, and 15 home runs. In an interview, Matt said he wouldn’t care what position he played, “As long as he gets to hit.”, and that’s what he did.
And then he was gone. 2010 would be Matt’s final professional season, but he did not go quietly. It would seem that he finished up the season, took a look around, and decided it was time to go. It’s hard to tell what motivated him. We know Matt was interested in investing and websites. Maybe he’s made millions by now, who knows. What we DO know is that, like a switch-hitting shooting star, Matt flew by in a moment and landed in himself in the #99 spot in our countdown.
Indy Ball Nation 