George Crowe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Crowe |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 22, 1921 Whiteland, Indiana |
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| Died: January 18, 2011 (aged 89) Rancho Cordova, California |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NgL: 1947, for the New York Black Yankees | |||
| MLB: April 16, 1952, for the Boston Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 30, 1961, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 81 | ||
| Runs batted in | 299 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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George Daniel Crowe (born March 22, 1921, died January 18, 2011) was a talented American athlete. He was a professional baseball player for many years. He played in the major leagues from 1952 to 1961. Before that, he played in the Negro National League. George Crowe was also a professional basketball player.
George was born in Whiteland, Indiana. He went to high school in Franklin and then to Indiana Central College. He was the first person to win the "Indiana Mr. Basketball" award. George also served in the United States Army during World War II.
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George Crowe's Baseball Career
Playing in the Major Leagues
George Crowe batted and threw with his left hand. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 210 pounds. In Major League Baseball, he played for several teams. These included the Boston / Milwaukee Braves (1952–1953; 1955). He also played for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1958) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1961). All these teams were in the National League.
In 1957, Crowe hit 31 home runs for Cincinnati. He played a lot that season because the regular first baseman, Ted Kluszewski, was injured.
He was chosen for the 1958 National League All-Star team. However, he did not play in the game. The game was held on July 8 in Baltimore. The American League won 4–3.
Playing in Minor and Winter Leagues
Crowe was 28 years old when he started playing in "Organized Baseball." This was when baseball slowly began to allow players of all races. Before that, he played in the Negro leagues.
He was a very good hitter in the minor leagues. He never hit below a .334 batting average until he was 40 years old. In 1950, Crowe played for the Hartford Chiefs. He won the batting title that year with a .353 average. He also led the league in hits and runs scored.
Crowe also played baseball in the winter. He played for the Santurce Crabbers in Puerto Rico during the 1954–55 season. He was teammates with famous players like Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente. Their team was called the "Panic Squadron." They won the league championship and the Caribbean World Series.
A Rare Moment: Playing Second Base
On June 14, 1958, George Crowe played a small part of one game as a second baseman. This was very unusual because he threw left-handed. Most infielders (except first basemen) throw right-handed. He even kept his large first baseman's mitt on.
During this time, he helped complete a double play. The other team's manager, Bob Scheffing, protested the game. He said Crowe used the wrong type of glove. This protest led to a new rule. It said that first basemen must switch to a regular fielder's glove if they play another position.
Major League Baseball Stats
In his nine seasons in the major leagues, George Crowe played 702 games. He had a .270 batting average. He hit 81 home runs and had 299 runs batted in (RBI). As a first baseman, he had a very good fielding percentage of .990.
Crowe set a record for hitting the most pinch-hit home runs. A pinch-hit home run is when a player hits a home run after coming into the game to bat for someone else. He hit 14 of these.
George Crowe's Basketball Career
| Personal information | |
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| High school | Franklin Senior (Franklin, Indiana) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 206 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Indianapolis (1940–1943) |
| Pro career | 1948–1953 |
| Career history | |
| 1948–1949 | Dayton Rens |
| 1949–1950; 1952–1953 |
New York Harlem Yankees / Glens Falls-Saratoga |
George Crowe also played professional basketball. He played for the famous New York Renaissance Big Five team. In 1947, he played for the Los Angeles Red Devils. On that team, he was teammates with Jackie Robinson, who later became a baseball legend.
Crowe played in the National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball League (ABL). He played for the Dayton Rens in 1948–49. He then played for the New York Harlem Yankees in 1949–50 and again in 1952–53. He even briefly coached the Yankees team.
Family Life
George Crowe was the younger brother of Ray Crowe. Ray Crowe was a famous high school basketball coach. He coached the Crispus Attucks High School teams to win two state championships in Indiana. His teams won in 1954–55 and 1955–56. A very famous player named Oscar Robertson was on those teams.
