Jim Crawford (baseball)
Encyclopedia
James Frederick Crawford (born September 29, 1950 in Chicago
, Illinois
) is a former professional baseball
pitcher
. Crawford pitched in all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball
between 1973 and 1978. He appeared in 181 games, all but 14 in relief.
On April 10, 1973, Crawford batted for the first time in his major league career. Forced to bat for himself in the 12th inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers
' George Culver
, he hit a game-winning double. To date, Crawford is the most recent player to hit a game-winning extra-base hit in extra innings
in his first major league plate appearance.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) is a former professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
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...
. Crawford pitched in all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball
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...
between 1973 and 1978. He appeared in 181 games, all but 14 in relief.
On April 10, 1973, Crawford batted for the first time in his major league career. Forced to bat for himself in the 12th inning against the Los Angeles 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...
' George Culver
George Culver
George Culver is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the major leagues from 1966-1974. Culver would play for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies...
, he hit a game-winning double. To date, Crawford is the most recent player to hit a game-winning extra-base hit in extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
in his first major league plate appearance.