Doug Creek

2.1. Birth and Background

Creek was born on March 1, 1969, in Winchester, Virginia, located in Frederick County, Virginia, United States.

2.2. Amateur Baseball

Creek attended Georgia Tech, where he played collegiate baseball. In 1990, he participated in collegiate summer baseball as a member of the Cotuit Kettleers in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. In 1989, prior to his professional career, he represented the United States at the 18th Japan-U.S. Collegiate Baseball Championship. During this championship, his teammates included other future NPB players such as Chris Haney and Eric Schurstrom. Creek was initially selected by the California Angels in the fifth round (152nd overall) of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft, but he opted not to sign with the team, choosing instead to re-enter the draft pool the following season.

3.1. Minor League Career

In the 1991 Major League Baseball draft, Creek was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round (181st overall), and he signed a contract with them shortly thereafter. His initial professional years were spent in A-ball during 1991 and 1992, where he played for four different teams: the Hamilton Redbirds, Savannah Cardinals, Springfield (IL) Cardinals, and St. Petersburg Cardinals. During this period, he was primarily utilized as a starting pitcher. Although he experienced some early struggles with Hamilton and Savannah in 1991, his performance significantly improved upon joining Springfield the following season. With the Springfield squad, Creek achieved a career-low ERA of 2.58, accompanied by a 4-1 won-loss record. He continued his strong pitching in 1992 with St. Petersburg, starting all 13 games he appeared in and compiling a 5-4 record with an impressive 2.82 ERA. After playing in Double-A and accumulating an 18-22 career record with a 4.00 ERA at that level, Creek had three separate stints with the Triple-A team in Louisville. He often alternated between Louisville and the Arkansas Travelers, which was the Double-A affiliate for the St. Louis organization.

3.2. Major League Debut and Early Teams

Following his consistent performances at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels, the St. Louis Cardinals promoted Creek to the major league roster. He made his MLB debut on September 17, 1995, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first appearance, he pitched one inning, striking out two batters and not allowing any hits. He went on to appear in five additional games for St. Louis that season, totaling six innings pitched across six games without surrendering any runs. After the 1995 season concluded, he was involved in an off-season multi-player trade that sent him, along with Rich DeLucia and Allen Watson, to the San Francisco Giants. In return, the Cardinals acquired Royce Clayton and Chris Wimmer. In 1996, at the age of 27, Creek pitched 48 1/3 innings over 63 appearances for his new team, concluding the season with a 6.52 ERA and an 0-2 win-loss record. He primarily functioned as a one-point relief or short relief pitcher. The following season, 1997, he spent time with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, the Phoenix Firebirds, where he posted an 8-6 record with two complete games and one shutout in 25 games (18 of which were starts). His strong showing in Triple-A earned him a quick promotion back to San Francisco, where he accumulated a 1-2 record and a 6.75 ERA, striking out 14 of the batters he faced in three appearances as a starter.

3.3. Hanshin Tigers Era (NPB)

On November 7, 1997, the Chicago White Sox purchased Creek's contract from the San Francisco Giants. However, Creek never played for the White Sox, as his contract was purchased again less than a month later, on December 4, 1997, by a Japanese team. The Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース_{Hanshin Taigāsu}^Japanese) of the Japan Central League acquired his contract from Chicago, leading him to play the 1998 baseball season in Japan. With the Tigers, he split his season between the Central League (the top-tier league) and the Western League (the minor league system in Japan), spending the majority of his time with the Western League squad. In 17 games (16 starts) for the Western League's Hanshin Tigers, he achieved an impressive 9-1 record with a 2.16 ERA. He led the league in both earned run average and strikeouts with 101. Despite his success in the minor league, his performance in the Central League was less stellar, as he went 0-4 with a 5.65 ERA in his seven appearances. He recorded his first NPB appearance and first start on April 5, 1998, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in the third game of their series at Yokohama Stadium. In this game, he pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run, with the decision not impacting his win-loss record. He also recorded his first NPB strikeout in the first inning of that game, fanning Jun Inoue (井上純_{Inoue Jun}^Japanese). Furthermore, he collected his first NPB hit in the same game, a single up the middle off pitcher Hiroki Nomura (野村弘樹_{Nomura Hiroki}^Japanese) in the third inning. He left the Hanshin Tigers after only one season.

3.4. Later MLB Career

Following his one-year stint in Japan, Paul Douglas Creek returned to MLB, signing a contract with the Chicago Cubs on January 29, 1999. He spent the majority of that season with the Iowa Cubs, the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate, where he recorded a 7-3 record in 25 games (20 starts) with a 3.79 ERA and one save. Although he was called up to the major leagues, he struggled in his six appearances, finishing the season with a 10.50 ERA. On February 1, 2000, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed Creek, and he played the next two and a half seasons of his MLB career with the team. In 2000, he appeared in 45 games, all in relief, posting a 1-3 record for Tampa Bay. He also earned his first (and only) career save, alongside a 4.60 ERA. The following season, 2001, Creek managed to lower his earned run average to 4.31. He pitched in a career-high 66 games and threw a career-high 62 2/3 innings, ending with a 2-5 win-loss record. Creek remained with the Devil Rays for the first four months of the 2002 regular season, appearing in 29 games with a 2-1 record, though his ERA was 6.27. On July 24, 2002, he was traded by Tampa Bay to the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. For the Mariners, he played in 23 games, going 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA. His combined totals for the 2002 season across both teams were 52 games, a 3-2 record, 55 2/3 innings pitched, and a 5.82 ERA. In October 2002, Creek was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays, who intended him to be a key member of their bullpen. However, the 2003 season did not unfold as planned; he pitched only 13 2/3 innings in 21 appearances with a 3.29 ERA, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in June. In February 2004, Creek returned to the St. Louis Cardinals, who signed him again. This time, he was exclusively used as a reliever in Triple-A for Memphis, where he went 2-1 with a 4.71 ERA in 33 games. The Detroit Tigers signed Creek in January 2005 to bolster their pitching depth. He played for the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, pitching 28 games (one start) and recording a 2-2 record with a 4.61 ERA. Unlike his previous return to the Cardinals, Creek was able to make it to the major league roster with the Tigers, appearing in 20 games. He pitched 22 1/3 innings in those games for Detroit, concluding his final professional season with a 6.85 ERA. He retired from professional baseball after the 2005 season.

6.1. Major League Baseball (MLB) Statistics

6.2. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Statistics and Records

Creek played one season in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Hanshin Tigers in 1998.

• First appearance and start: April 5, 1998, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (Game 3 of the season), at Yokohama Stadium. He pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run, and received a no-decision.
• First strikeout: Recorded in the same game, in the bottom of the 1st inning, against Jun Inoue (井上純_{Inoue Jun}^Japanese).
• First hit: Recorded in the same game, in the top of the 3rd inning, a single up the middle against pitcher Hiroki Nomura (野村弘樹_{Nomura Hiroki}^Japanese).

6.3. Jersey Numbers

Throughout his professional career, Paul Douglas Creek wore several jersey numbers:

• 37 (1995, 1999)
• 51 (1996-1997)
• 21 (1998)
• 38 (2000 - mid-2002)
• 36 (mid-2002 - end of 2002)
• 39 (2003)
• 52 (2005)

6.4. Representative Career

Paul Douglas Creek represented the United States national team in the 18th Japan-U.S. Collegiate Baseball Championship in 1989.