Joseph Taylor Crede (pronounced CREE-dee, born April 26, 1978) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

(2000–2008) and the Minnesota Twins (2009). Crede was drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 1996 MLB draft and made his debut with the team in 2000. Crede was a member of the White Sox when they won the World Series in 2005, marking their first championship in 88 years.

Professional career

Chicago White Sox

Crede made his major league debut on September 12, 2000 against the Detroit Tigers, entering as a defensive replacement at third base and flying out in his first at-bat. He split 2001 and 2002 between the majors and minors before playing in his first full season in 2003. In 2005, Crede batted .252 with 22 home runs and 62 RBI in 132 games. He also was a clutch performer in the playoffs, hitting several game winning hits during the White Sox World Series run. In 2006, he broke out with a career-high 30 home runs, 92 RBI and a .283 average in 150 games, winning the

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...

for

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

. In 2007, Crede was limited to 47 games due to injury, and finished the season batting just .216 with four home runs and 22 RBI. On January 18, 2008, Crede agreed to a one-year, $5.1 million contract with the White Sox, avoiding arbitration. In 2008, Crede hit a

grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

on Opening Day against the Twins. After starting the season batting .256 with 16 home runs and 49 RBI, Crede made the

2008 MLB All-Star Game The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Sta ...

as a reserve. However, he was injured for most of the second half, and finished the season hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI in 97 games. Both his 2007 and 2008 seasons had been cut short by back injuries. On October 30, 2008, Crede elected free agency.

Minnesota Twins

On February 21, 2009, Crede signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Minnesota Twins that included incentives that could make the deal up to $7 million. In his one season with the Twins, Crede had a .225 batting average and recorded 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 90 games. On September 20, Crede announced he would undergo a third season-ending back surgery.

Colorado Rockies

Crede signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Colorado Rockies after a one-year absence from baseball. He became a free agent on February 17, 2011, when he decided not to show up for spring training. Crede then retired.

Personal life

On October 22, 2005, the same day as the due date of his second daughter, Lucy, Crede hit his first World Series home run. On November 6, 2005, Crede was honored by his hometown of Westphalia, Missouri, with "Joe Crede Day," where he was presented the key to the city. In February 2006, Crede's high school, Fatima High School in Westphalia, Missouri, retired his jersey. Joe's older brother Brad won a high school baseball state championship with Fatima High School in '92, and an NCAA Division II National Championship with CMSU in '94. He was drafted by the Orioles after high school in the 44th round (1,220th overall) of the

1992 MLB draft The 1992 Major League Baseball draft took place on June 1, 1992, through a conference call involving all 28 MLB teams of the time. Phil Nevin of Cal State Fullerton was the first overall selection, chosen by the Houston Astros. Derek Jeter, sele ...

, but chose to play in college first. He was drafted again after college by the Phillies in the 19th round (556th overall) of the 1996 MLB draft, the same day Joe was drafted. Crede and his wife Lisa have two daughters, Anna and Lucy, and one son, Jace. He lives in mid-Missouri, and is a season-ticket holder for

Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. Teammate

Aaron Rowand Aaron Ryan Rowand (born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball center fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the San Francisco Giants and won two World Series ch ...

praised Crede's ability to deliver in big moments. “There’s nobody better than that guy in the clutch,” Rowand told reporters. “He’s done it over and over and over again. It’s not the first time, and it definitely won’t be the last time.”

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crede, Joe 1978 births Living people Sportspeople from Jefferson City, Missouri Chicago White Sox players Minnesota Twins players Major League Baseball third basemen Baseball players from Missouri American League All-Stars Gulf Coast White Sox players Hickory Crawdads players Winston-Salem Warthogs players Birmingham Barons players Charlotte Knights players Silver Slugger Award winners