41 Facts About Sam Crawford

Sam Crawford was one of the greatest sluggers of his era, leading his league in home runs twice and in runs batted in three times.

Sam Crawford still holds the MLB record for most career triples with 309, a record likely never to be broken.

Sam Crawford was a player and umpire in the Pacific Coast League and was a coach at the University of Southern California.

Sam Crawford was listed as a ballplayer in 1910, and had one daughter, Virginia, born circa 1905 in Michigan.

Sam Crawford was offered an opportunity in the spring of 1899 to play for the Chatham Reds of the Canadian League for $65 per month, plus board.

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Sam Crawford seized the opportunity and left behind his job as a barber's apprentice.

From Chatham, Sam Crawford moved on to play for the Grand Rapids Prodigals in the Western League.

Sam Crawford played in 31 games for the Reds at the end of the 1899 season.

At age 19, and one year removed from his days playing for Wahoo's traveling team, Sam Crawford was playing in the major leagues with future Hall of Famers Jake Beckley and Bid McPhee.

Sam Crawford was one of the best sluggers in baseball in 1901, batting.

Sam Crawford hit 12 inside-the-park home runs in 1901 – a major league record that has never been equaled.

Sam Crawford signed contracts with both the Reds and the Detroit Tigers.

Sam Crawford joined the Tigers for the 1903 season and remained there until the end of his major league career in 1917.

Cobb and Sam Crawford led Detroit to three straight American League pennants in 1907,1908 and 1909, but both of them slumped in their World Series appearances, as the Tigers lost all three.

Sam Crawford was among the American League leaders in hits, RBIs, extra base hits, slugging percentage and total bases every year from 1905 to 1915.

Sam Crawford led the American League in triples five times, including an American League record 26 triples in 1914.

Sam Crawford remains the all-time major league leader with 309 triples in his career.

That year, Sam Crawford played 78 games in right field, and Heilmann played 66, with Sam Crawford's plate appearances cut almost in half from 694 to 368.

In 1917, Sam Crawford lost his spot in the lineup altogether and was relegated principally to a pinch-hitting role.

Sam Crawford was one of the greatest sluggers of the dead-ball era.

Sam Crawford still holds the major league records for triples in a career and inside-the-park home runs in a season.

Sam Crawford has the second most inside-the-park home runs in a career, and the remarkable distinction of hitting more triples than doubles four times in his career: 22 to 18 in 1902,25 to 23 in 1903,26 to 22 in 1914, and 13 to 11 in 1916, the last as at the ripe old age for a ballplayer of his era of 36.

Sam Crawford became the first player to lead both the National League and American League in home runs.

Sam Crawford was among the AL leaders in hits, RBI, extra base hits, slugging percentage and total bases for 11 consecutive years, from 1905 to 1915.

Ed Barrow, who managed Sam Crawford in his first two years with Detroit, and went on to convert Babe Ruth to an outfielder as general manager of the Yankees, once said that there never was a better hitter than Sam Crawford.

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Sam Crawford stands up at the plate like a brick house and he hits all the pitchers, without playing favorites.

Cobb was unpopular with his teammates, and as he became the biggest star in baseball, Sam Crawford was unhappy with the preferential treatment given Cobb.

Sam Crawford recalled that, if he went three for four on a day when Cobb went hitless, Cobb would turn red and sometimes walk out of the park with the game still on.

When it was initially reported that Nap Lajoie had won the batting title, Sam Crawford was alleged to have been one of several Tigers who sent a telegram to Lajoie congratulating him on beating Cobb.

Sam Crawford learned about the letter in 1946 and accused Cobb of being a "cheapskate" who never helped his teammates.

Sam Crawford was reportedly unaware of Cobb's efforts until after Cobb died.

Sam Crawford decided to stay in Southern California, and in 1924 became the head coach of the University of Southern California baseball team, a position he held until 1929.

Sam Crawford was instrumental in the development of the California Intercollegiate Baseball Association in 1927, and led USC to second-place finishes in his last two seasons.

Sam Crawford later worked as an umpire in the Pacific Coast League from 1935 to 1938, quitting after finding it a thankless job and lonely life.

In 1927, Sam Crawford had a role as the baseball coach in Buster Keaton's comedy film College.

In retirement, Sam Crawford became somewhat reclusive, staying away from official baseball functions.

Sam Crawford was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1957.

Sam Crawford spent much of his later years working in his garden and reading.

Sam Crawford suffered a stroke on May 26,1968, and died two weeks later at Hollywood Community Hospital in Los Angeles at age 88.

Sam Crawford was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood.

In 1999, Sam Crawford was ranked number 84 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.