Carl Crawford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carl Crawford |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crawford with the Dodgers in 2013
|
||||||||||||||
| Left fielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: August 5, 1981 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| debut | ||||||||||||||
| July 20, 2002, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| June 3, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .290 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 136 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 766 | |||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 480 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). People sometimes called him "the Perfect Storm." He played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Carl batted and threw with his left hand.
Crawford is famous for playing nine years with the Rays. During this time, he was known as one of baseball's best baserunners. He led the American League in stolen bases and triples four times each.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Talents
Carl Crawford grew up in the Fifth Ward area of Houston. He joined a program called Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. He went to Jefferson Davis High School in Houston, Texas. There, he was a top athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. As a kid, he played on the same little league team as Michael Bourn, who also became an MLB player.
In high school, Carl worked with Willie Ansley, a former top draft pick. Carl hit an amazing .638 in his senior year. He was offered scholarships to play basketball as a point guard at UCLA. He also had chances to play college football as a quarterback at big schools like Nebraska and USC. Carl chose to play professional baseball instead of college sports.
Carl Crawford's Baseball Journey
The Devil Rays picked Carl Crawford in the second round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 52nd player chosen overall.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
In 2002, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) in Tampa Bay named Crawford the Devil Rays' Most Outstanding Rookie. He also won the International League Rookie of the Year Award while playing for the AAA Durham Bulls.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2002–2010)
First Seasons (2002–2006)
Carl Crawford made his first MLB appearance on July 20, 2002. He was only 20 years old. In that game, he got his first hit, which was a two-RBI single. He hit his first home run on August 10. In 2002, he played 63 games and had 9 stolen bases.
In 2003, Carl had a fantastic season. He hit .281 with 54 RBI and led the league with 55 steals. He also won the James "Cool Papa Bell" Legacy Award.
In 2004, Crawford stole 59 bases, again leading the league. He hit .296 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs. Carl also led the league with 19 triples. He was chosen for the All-Star Game in his hometown of Houston. The BBWAA named him the Devil Rays team MVP for 2004.
Crawford batted .301 in 2005. He was only the third Devil Ray to hit over .300 in a season. He also set personal bests with 194 hits, 15 home runs, and 81 RBI. He led the league with 15 triples again and was third in steals with 46.
On July 5, 2006, Carl Crawford reached 200 stolen bases before his 25th birthday. Only seven other players in history had done this. He finished 2006 with his best batting average (.305) and home runs (18). He was one of only two players in MLB history to improve his batting average and home run totals for five years in a row. He also won a Fielding Bible Award for his great defense in left field.
Later Seasons (2007–2010)
Crawford became an All-Star for the second time in 2007. He was the first Devil Ray to be an All-Star more than once. He hit a home run in the 6th inning of the All-Star Game.
In 2008, Carl got his 1,000th hit. This made him one of only eight players to have 1,000 hits and 250 stolen bases before turning 27. In the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, Crawford tied a record with five hits in one game. He also stole two bases. After the season, he won his second Fielding Bible Award.
On May 3, 2009, Carl Crawford tied a modern-era record by stealing six bases in one game against the Boston Red Sox. On July 14, 2009, he played in the 2009 All-Star Game. He was named MVP for making an amazing catch at the outfield wall. This catch stopped a possible home run.
In 2009, Crawford stole a career-high 60 bases. He also had the best defensive range among all starting left fielders. He won his third Fielding Bible Award.
On July 31, 2010, Crawford reached 400 stolen bases. He was the 7th player in history to do this before turning 29. On August 17, 2010, he hit his 100th triple. He was only the second player ever to have 100 triples and 400 stolen bases before age 30. He finished the 2010 season with personal bests of 19 home runs and 90 RBIs.
The Tampa Bay BBWAA chapter voted Crawford the Most Valuable Player for the Rays in 2010. After the season, he won the Gold Glove Award for his defense and the Silver Slugger Award for his hitting.
Boston Red Sox (2011–2012)
On December 8, 2010, Crawford signed a big seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He had a tough start in 2011. On May 3, he got his 1,500th career hit. For the 2011 season, he batted .255.
In January 2012, Crawford injured his left wrist. He had surgery to fix it. He also had discomfort in his elbow. He started the 2012 season on the disabled list. He played in his first 2012 game on July 16. On August 23, 2012, Crawford had surgery on his left elbow, which ended his season.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2016)
Joining the Dodgers (2012)
On August 25, 2012, Carl Crawford was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He joined other players like Josh Beckett and Adrián González. Even with his injury, Crawford was able to play for the Dodgers on Opening Day in 2013.
Playing for the Dodgers (2013–2016)
Crawford started strong with the Dodgers in 2013, hitting .308 in April. He missed some time with a hamstring injury but played in 116 games. He hit .283 with 6 home runs and 15 stolen bases. In the 2013 NLDS playoffs, Crawford hit three home runs, helping the Dodgers win.
In 2014, Crawford had a slow start but improved in May, hitting .333. He injured his ankle in May and was on the disabled list. He returned in July. Crawford finished the 2014 season hitting .300 in 105 games, with 8 home runs and 23 stolen bases.
On April 27, 2015, Crawford tore a muscle in his side and was placed on the disabled list. He returned to play in July. He appeared in 69 games for the Dodgers in 2015, hitting .265.
In 2016, Crawford was a backup outfielder. He played in 30 games and hit .185. On June 5, the Dodgers decided to release him. Carl later said he chose to retire from baseball after being released.
Career Highlights
In 1,716 games over 15 seasons, Carl Crawford had a .290 batting average. He had 998 runs, 309 doubles, 123 triples, 136 home runs, and 766 RBI. He also stole 480 stolen bases. He finished his career with a .989 fielding percentage playing in left and center field. In 39 playoff games, he hit .260 with 7 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
Awards and Achievements
- American League All-Star (2004, 2006, 2009, 2010)
- Gold Glove Award (2010)
- Silver Slugger Award (2010)
- Fielding Bible Award (2006, 2008, 2009)
- American League stolen base leader (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007)
- American League triples leader (2004, 2005, 2006, 2010)
- All-Star Game MVP (2009)
- Tied MLB modern-era record for most stolen bases in a single game: 6 (May 3, 2009)
- International League Rookie of the Year (2002)
- "Cool Papa Bell" Legacy Award (2003)
- Tampa Bay Rays Most Valuable Player (2004, 2010)
- Tampa Bay Rays Most Outstanding Rookie (2002)
- Rays' single-season runs record: 110 (2010)
- Rays' single-season triples record: 19 (2004)
- Rays' single-season stolen base record: 60 (2009)
- Rays' all-time leader in many categories like hits, doubles, triples, and stolen bases.
- Named the Rays' "Face of the Franchise" by ESPN
Carl Crawford was considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, but he did not receive enough votes.
Personal Life
.png)
Carl Crawford's first cousin once removed, J. P. Crawford, also plays professional baseball. J.P. was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013.
Carl has two children with Amy Freeman: a son named Justin, born in 2004, and a daughter named Ari, born in 2013. Justin Crawford was also drafted into MLB in 2022. Carl also has a son, Carl Jr., born in 2014.
1501 Certified Entertainment
Carl Crawford is the CEO of 1501 Certified Entertainment. This is a record label based in Houston. In 2018, the label signed hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion. She became very famous with many hit songs. Her music from 1501 Certified is now promoted by 300 Entertainment and distributed by Warner Music Group.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
