Willie Crawford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Crawford |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 7, 1946 Los Angeles, California |
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| Died: August 27, 2004 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California |
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| debut | |||
| September 16, 1964, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1977, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .268 | ||
| Home runs | 86 | ||
| Runs batted in | 419 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Willie Murphy Crawford (born September 7, 1946 – died August 27, 2004) was a professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Willie played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964–1975), St. Louis Cardinals (1976), Houston Astros (1977), and Oakland Athletics (1977). He was born in Los Angeles, California. Willie hit and threw with his left hand. His son, also named Willie Crawford, played football for UCLA.
Willie was a talented athlete from a young age. At Fremont High School in Los Angeles, he was a top player in both football and baseball. He was incredibly fast, able to run 100 yards in just 9.7 seconds! Many colleges wanted him to play football as a running back. However, a scout for the Dodgers, Al Campanis, signed Willie to play baseball for $100,000 in 1964. This happened just two days after he finished high school.
Because of a special rule at the time called the "Bonus Rule," Willie had to play for the main Dodgers team right away. This meant he played in the major leagues in both 1964 and 1965. As a baseball player, Willie was known for his strong defense. He often played closer to home plate than most outfielders. This helped him catch short fly balls, sometimes called "Texas leaguers," that might otherwise drop in for a hit. Willie also had a powerful arm, which helped him throw out runners trying to advance on the bases. He was very quick and could run at full speed to catch deep fly balls.
Baseball Career Highlights
Willie Crawford started his major league career on September 16, 1964, when he was only 18 years old. As a rookie (a first-year player), he had a great start. He hit for a .313 batting average, which means he got a hit about 31% of the time he tried to hit the ball. He also scored three runs, hit one double, and stole a base.
In 1965, the Dodgers played in the World Series. Willie hit a single as a pinch-hitter in Game 1. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series that year against the Minnesota Twins.
On April 7, 1970, a Reds pitcher named Gary Nolan threw a game where the Dodgers only got two hits. Both of those hits were by Willie Crawford!
His best season was in 1973. That year, he hit for a .295 batting average. He also hit 14 home runs and had 66 RBI (Runs Batted In). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run. He played in 145 games that season. In 1974, he had another strong year, hitting .295 again with 11 home runs and 61 RBI. He even hit a home run in the 1974 World Series against the Oakland Athletics.
Willie played for the Dodgers until the end of the 1975 season. During his time with them, he had a .268 batting average, 74 home runs, and 335 RBI in 989 games. In March 1976, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He played well for the Cardinals, hitting .304 with nine home runs and 50 RBI in 120 games.
After the 1976 season, he was traded again, this time to the San Francisco Giants. However, he never played for the Giants. Before the 1977 season, he was traded to the Houston Astros. He played 42 games for the Astros and then 59 games for the Oakland Athletics in 1977. This was his last season in the major leagues.
Over his 12-year career, Willie Crawford played in 1,210 games. He finished with a .268 batting average, 86 home runs, and 419 RBI. He also scored 507 runs, hit 152 doubles, 35 triples, and stole 47 bases. He also had 431 walks, which means he got on base often without getting a hit. His fielding percentage was .975, showing he was a very good outfielder.
Willie Crawford passed away at his home in Los Angeles at age 57, due to kidney problems. He was buried in the Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
