Craig Sorensen

Orton Craig Sorensen

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Arizona
• High School Yuma Union High School
• Born July 31, 1935 in Salt Lake City, UT USA
• Died December 28, 2012 in Oro Valley, AZ USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Craig Sorensen spent six years in the Chicago Cubs minor league system, playing from 1957 to 1962. He briefly played in Triple-A and won a AA home run crown, but did not reach the majors.

He began his career in 1957, playing for the Ponca City Cubs (.260/.361/.392 in 60 G) and Magic Valley Cowboys (.278/.387/.344 in 24 G), hitting a combined .265 with six home runs and 78 hits in 84 games. In 1958, with the Carlsbad Potashers (101 G, 21 HR, .342 BA) and Magic Valley Cowboys (19 G, 1 HR, .283 BA), he hit .335 with 22 home runs, 23 doubles and a .579 slugging percentage in 120 games. He had the third-best slugging percentage in the Sophomore League that year, with a mark of .603. He also tied for 6th in home runs.

He played for the Potashers (47 G, 10 HR, .302/.431/.552) and Lancaster Red Roses (72 G, 10 HR, .273/.372/.450) in 1959, hitting a combined .285/.398/.493 with 20 home runs and 81 RBI in 119 games. He tied Jim Woods for 6th in the Chicago Cubs chain in home runs. In 1960, with Lancaster (119 G, 21 HR, 101 RBI, .285 BA) and the San Antonio Missions (20 G, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .259 BA), Sorensen hit .282/.360/.504 with 21 home runs and 104 RBI in 139 games. He tied for third in the Eastern League in triples (9) and finished fourth in home runs (behind Don Lock, Hal Jones and Bud Zipfel), RBI (behind the same trio), slugging percentage (.552, behind Jones, Lock and Marlan Coughtry) and OPS (.893, after Coughtry, Jones and Lock). He tied Lewis Bishop for the most triples in the Cubs chain, led in RBI and tied for 6th in dingers.

With the Missions for a full season in 1961, Sorensen hit .291/.400/.523 with 27 home runs, 78 RBI and 133 hits in 138 games. He led the Texas League in home runs (5 more than runner-up Johnny Lewis), was 8th in RBI, finished third in walks (77) and OPS (.923, behind Doug Clemens and Lewis), tied for third in games and placed fourth in slugging (after Clemens, Lewis and Joe Pepitone. He led the Cubs chain in home runs and walks and was second to Zipfel in OPS. He wrapped up his career in 1962, playing for the Salt Lake City Bees of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, hitting .267/.377/.367 with three home runs and 38 RBI in 93 games, backing up Billy Williams, Walt Bond and Anthony Washington in the outfield.

Overall, he hit .290 with 99 home runs, 110 doubles, 24 triples and 667 hits in 693 career games. He was later inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame and worked for Hamilton Equipment Company and then Holmes Tuttle Ford.

Sources: Obituary, assorted Baseball Guides