Willie Murphy Crawford was a professional baseballoutfielder. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. Crawford was born in Los Angeles, California. He batted and threw left-handed. He was the father of former UCLA football DB Willie Crawford who graduated from Beverly Hills H.S. in 1988. At Fremont High School in Los Angeles, Crawford was All-City in both football and baseball. With 9.7 speed in 100 yards, he was a highly recruited running back by colleges to play football. But longtime Dodger Tommy Lasorda, who was then a scout, signed Crawford for the Dodgers for $100,000 two days after he graduated from high school in 1964. Because of the Bonus Rule in existence at the time, Crawford had to play for the Dodgers' major league team in both 1964 and 1965. As a major league baseball player, defensively, he played in a shallow manner, so as to cut down on potential Texas leaguers. Crawford's strong arm was able to cut down ambitious baserunners. Also, he was able to get a good jump on the ball and used his full speed to track down deep fly balls.
Career
Crawford debuted on September 16, 1964, at the age of 18. As a rookie, he batted.313 with three runs, one double, and stole a base. He had a pinch-hit single in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series, when the Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins. On April 7, 1970, RedspitcherGary Nolan defeated the Dodgers, 4–0, on a 2-hitter. Both hits were batted by Crawford, in the 4th and 9th innings. In his best season, 1973, he hit.295, with 14 homers and 66 RBI in 145 games. Then, in 1974, he hit.333 and belted a home run against Oakland in the World Series. Crawford played for the Dodgers through the end of the 1975 season, compiling a.268 average, with 74 home runs and 335 RBIs in a total of 989 games. He was traded to St. Louis in March 1976. He hit.304 in 120 games for the Cardinals with nine home runs and 50 RBIs. He was traded again after the 1976 season. The Cardinals sent Crawford to the San Francisco Giants. He never played for the Giants, being traded to Houston prior to the 1977 season. He played 42 games for the Astros and 59 games for Oakland Athletics that season, his last in the major leagues. During his 12-year career, Crawford appeared in 1,210 games and had a.268 batting average with 86 home runs and 419 RBI. His career numbers included 507 runs, 152 doubles, 35 triples, 47 stolen bases, and 431 walks for a.349 on-base percentage. His fielding percentage was.975 at all three outfield positions. At age 57, Willie Crawford died at his home in Los Angeles, apparently of kidney disease. He was buried in the Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
