A tribute to a hometown homerun hero
Pat Crawford scored success, on and off the diamond
the Giants
We’d like to celebrate local baseball legend Pat Crawford, who was born this month (January 28) and also died this month (January 25), three days shy of his 92nd birthday.
Born Clifford Rankin “Pat” Crawford in 1902 in Society Hill, he was known as “Cliff” to family and friends. Crawford was the eldest of five children and, after the family moved to Sumter in 1915, he became an all-star athlete on the Sumter High School baseball, basketball and football teams.
In 1919, he also went on to stand out at Davidson College, where he served as captain of the basketball and baseball teams (twice named all-state as an infielder) – and ruled the infield, with his speed, agility and strong throwing arm, which also came in handy in the outfield. But he also excelled off the field, serving as vice president of his senior class and, as a strong Christian, staying active in the local YMCA.
After graduating from Davidson with a bachelor’s in physical education, he was signed by the Kinston Highwaymen, part of the independent Eastern Carolina Baseball Association, in 1922 as a left fielder. But, after the team disbanded and because of Crawford’s dislike of Sunday games over church and the hard life of some players, he turned down a bonus pay to play in the Sally League to instead play with a semi-pro team in Lenoir and teach/coach at Gastonia High School. He led the school’s football and baseball teams to championships.
But Crawford’s baseball career didn’t strike out – not even close. While still juggling coaching duties, the 22-year-old left handed-hitter went on to play in semipro leagues throughout the Carolinas. You’d usually find Crawford at first or second base – or rounding the bases as a pinch hitter; and, when he was in the dugout, you’d find him taking on his feisty, natural instinct to coach (he was nicknamed Peppery Patrick and Captain Pat).
As one of the league’s best hitters from 1924 to 1927, Crawford, named the league’s MVP, could have easily been moved up to the majors, but he maintained his principles by refusing to play on Sundays. He finally gave in, however, in the spring of 1927, when he reported to the New York Giants. Crawford was on the starting lineup in 1929.
In his four years in the majors, also playing for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Columbus Red Birds, Crawford was named “The Sporting News” MVP, led the Cardinals to a World Series win in 1934, batted .280, and knocked in 104 runs. In his seven-year minor league career, he batted an astounding .347 average in more than 843 games.
Unfortunately, right before Crawford, 33, was to be named as the next coach of the Cardinals in 1935, he was rushed to the hospital in Kinston. It turns out that, after a routine hemorrhoid operation, he developed the life-threatening blood infection, septicemia, and was given a very slight chance of survival. Three weeks later, he did recover, but the disease left him with a permanent limp because of a stiff left hip, which ended his baseball career.
Crawford continued to live in Kinston with his wife, Sarah, daughter Patricia, and son Clifford. He also continued his commitment to giving back through education and youth baseball, by opening a baseball school and camp in Gastonia for the Cardinals, scouting for the team, founding a recreation department in Kinston (and serving as director), building public baseball diamonds, and organizing local youth leagues. In 1937, he and his wife founded Camp Morehead by the Sea, a youth camp on 20 acres in Morehead City.
It was said that he rarely spoke of all of his accomplishments, both on and off the field. He was inducted into the Kinston Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, posthumously into the Davidson College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Kinston/Lenoir County Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Crawford died in Morehead City in 1994 and is buried in the Westview Cemetery in Kinston.
