Joe Crede celebrated his 40th birthday just days ago. It seems odd… the image of a youthful Crede during the 2005 Championship run is etched in the minds of White Sox fans - or at least this White Sox fan – forever.
He was a fantastic defender; he should have won at least one Gold Glove. He did win a Silver Slugger in 2006. He was an All-Star in 2008. He would’ve surely collected a handful of more accolades had his back not given out on him.
Crede was drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 draft out of Fatima High School in Westphalia, Missouri. He burst onto the prospect scene in 1998 when he just missed a Carolina League triple crown with Winston-Salem, hitting .315/.387/.514 with 20 HR and 88 RBI in 137 games. The only category in which he didn’t pace the league was home runs; he finished third, two behind the leader.
Entering 1999 he was Baseball America’s 46th ranked prospect, and after injuries derailed his season he was still a top-100 prospect entering 2000 (he was No. 96). That season, he tore up the Southern League hitting .306/.384/.490 with 21 HR and 94 RBI at Birmingham, earning him a seven-game taste of the Majors at the end of the season.
Crede skyrocketed up the Baseball America top 100 prospect list entering 2001. Notables listed below:
33. Adam Dunn
36. Joe Crede
MLB
40. Jake Peavy
42. Albert Pujols
91. Miguel Cabrera
94. Juan Uribe
Following brief stints with the Sox in 2001 and 2002, he finally stuck with the club for a full season in 2003, providing excellent defense as well as 19 home runs. Two years later he was a World Series champion and could have easily taken home World Series MVP honors, collecting at least one hit in all four games and adding a pair of home runs.
Crede recorded career highs of 30 HR and 94 RBI in 2006, but that was the last time he appeared in 100 games. Back issues cut his career short as he finished up with Minnesota in 2009.
An underappreciated player with a knack for clutch hits, Crede finished with 140 home runs; reaching 20 on three occasions. His glove, however may have been his best asset. Or was it his singing voice? With Crede on the team, White Sox fans never stopped believing.