Claude Crocker
Encyclopedia
Claude Arthur Crocker was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Brooklyn Dodgers
in 1944 and 1945. The 6'2", 185 lb. right-hander was a native of Caroleen, North Carolina.
Crocker is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major league
s during World War II
. He pitched a total of three games, all in relief, and his last one was his best. On September 30, 1945, the last day of the season, Crocker pitched two scoreless innings
to earn a save in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies
at Shibe Park. Totals for his brief career include 2 games finished
, 4 earned runs allowed in 5.1 innings pitched, and an ERA
of 6.75. He was perfect at the plate and on defense, going 1-for-1 (1.000) and recording 1 assist
without making an error
.
Crocker was also the head basketball coach at Presbyterian College
for one year during the 1949-50 season. He coached the Blue Hose to a 14-15 record.
He died at the age of 78 in Clinton, South Carolina
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in 1944 and 1945. The 6'2", 185 lb. right-hander was a native of Caroleen, North Carolina.
Crocker is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
s during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He pitched a total of three games, all in relief, and his last one was his best. On September 30, 1945, the last day of the season, Crocker pitched two scoreless innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
to earn a save in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Shibe Park. Totals for his brief career include 2 games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
, 4 earned runs allowed in 5.1 innings pitched, and an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 6.75. He was perfect at the plate and on defense, going 1-for-1 (1.000) and recording 1 assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
without making an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
.
Crocker was also the head basketball coach at Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
for one year during the 1949-50 season. He coached the Blue Hose to a 14-15 record.
He died at the age of 78 in Clinton, South Carolina
Clinton, South Carolina
Clinton is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 8,091 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants two decades before the American Revolutionary...
.