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{{short description|American baseball player (born 1957)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Craig Chamberlain
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|image=Craig Chamberlain - Omaha Royals - 1980.jpg
|caption=Chamberlain in 1980
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1957|2|2}}
|birth_place=[[Hollywood, California]], U.S.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=August 12
|debutyear=1979
|debutteam=Kansas City Royals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1980
|finalteam=Kansas City Royals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=4–5
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.10
|stat3label=[[Innings pitched]]
|stat3value=79
|teams=
*[[Kansas City Royals]] (1979–1980)}}

'''Craig Phillip Chamberlain''' (born February 2, 1957) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player. A [[pitcher]], he appeared in 15 [[games pitched|games]], including ten [[starting pitcher|starts]], in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[Kansas City Royals]] in {{baseball year|1979}} and {{baseball year|1980}}. As a [[rookie]] with the 1979 Royals, Chamberlain threw three [[complete game]] [[win (baseball)|victories]] in his first three Major League appearances.

Chamberlain was drafted in the first round of the secondary phase of the [[1978 Major League Baseball draft]] after attending [[Long Beach City College]] and the [[University of Arizona]]. The {{convert|6|ft|1|in|abbr=on}}, {{convert|190|lb|abbr=on}} right-hander made his professional debut in 1979 at the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] level and won 12 of 21 [[decision (baseball)|decisions]], with 11 complete games and a sparkling 2.59 [[earned run average]]. In August 1979, the Royals summoned him to the Major Leagues and he made his first start on August 12.

==Three straight complete game wins kicked off MLB career==
The Royals were then locked in a race for the [[American League West Division]] championship, in third place and five games behind the [[California Angels]]. In a game against the [[Detroit Tigers]] at [[Royals Stadium]], [[Whitey Herzog]], the Kansas City [[manager (baseball)|manager]], handed the ball to the 22-year-old Chamberlain and gave him the starting assignment in his MLB debut. Chamberlain proceeded to allow only six [[hit (baseball)|hits]], five of them [[single (baseball)|singles]], in a 7–1 triumph, [[base on balls|walking]] two and [[strikeout|striking out]] six.

Five days later, at [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]] in [[Baltimore]] against the [[Baltimore Orioles|Orioles]], Chamberlain again got the starting nod and again notched a complete game, 7–1 win. This time, he allowed only three hits (including a [[home run]] by [[Ken Singleton]]) and two walks to the eventual [[American League]] champions, defeating [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] pitcher [[Jim Palmer]].

In his third start, on August 24 at home against the [[Boston Red Sox]], Chamberlain was not as effective, allowing ten hits and two [[earned run]]s, but he defeated Boston 4–2 and, in the process, bested another future Hall of Famer, [[Dennis Eckersley]], who was then a starting pitcher.

==Starting pitcher during Royals' 1979 stretch run==
His winning streak ended four days later, on August 28 against the visiting [[Milwaukee Brewers]]. He went only five [[inning]]s, allowing seven hits (including two home runs) and four earned runs, and took the loss in an 11–6 Milwaukee victory.

After a [[no-decision]] in his fifth start, against [[New York Yankees|New York]] at [[Yankee Stadium I|Yankee Stadium]], Chamberlain notched his fourth complete game win in his sixth start September 7 at the [[Kingdome]] in an eight-hit, 6–2 win over the [[Seattle Mariners]]. It would be his last MLB victory and complete game.

Chamberlain continued to take a turn in the Kansas City rotation during September 1979 but lost his last three decisions, to finish 4–4 with a 3.75 [[earned run average]] in ten starts and 69{{fraction|2|3}} [[innings pitched]] during his rookie campaign. The Royals finished three games behind the Angels in second place in the AL West.

In 1980, the Royals would break through to recapture the division title and win their first American League pennant, but Chamberlain spent the season at [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]], winning 11 games but compiling an ineffective 4.76 earned run average with the [[Omaha Royals]]. He was recalled in September and made five appearances in [[relief pitcher|relief]], but lost his only decision and allowed ten hits and five walks in 9{{fraction|1|3}} [[innings pitched]]. It was his last MLB trial. His professional career, however, continued over the next 15 seasons, in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]] (1981–1983; 1987–1988; 1991) and [[independent league baseball]] (1995).

As a Major Leaguer, he pitched in 15 games and 79 innings, allowing 78 hits and 23 walks, with 33 strikeouts.

==External links==
{{baseballstats|br=c/chambcr01|fangraphs=|retro=C/Pchamc101}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, Craig}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats baseball players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Orange County, California]]
[[Category:Canton-Akron Indians players]]
[[Category:Charlotte Knights players]]
[[Category:Colorado Springs Sky Sox players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Suns players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Royals players]]
[[Category:Long Beach Barracudas players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Omaha Royals players]]
[[Category:Phoenix Giants players]]
[[Category:People from Hollywood, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:San Bernardino Spirit players]]
[[Category:Shreveport Captains players]]
[[Category:Tigres de Aragua players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Long Beach City Vikings baseball players]]
[[Category:Los Alamitos High School alumni]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Los Alamitos, California]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Orange County, California]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

Craig Chamberlain - Revision history

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