SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford is retiring after 14 seasons in the major leagues, all but one of which he played for his hometown San Francisco Giants as a fast-pitching shortstop and fan favorite.
The veteran infielder, a four-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star, announced his decision in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
“At this time of year, I am always reminded of the things in my life that I am most grateful for, and baseball is one of them,” Crawford wrote. “Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences it has given me. Time is precious. I'm so grateful for all the games I've played, but now it's time to spend time with the people I'm most grateful for. Thank you to everyone who has been there for me over the years. It was a comfortable ride.”
Drafted in the fourth round out of UCLA in 2008, Crawford debuted on May 27, 2011 and won the World Series with the Giants in 2012 and 2014, the last of the biennial series that began in 2010. won two titles. -14.
“Congratulations to Clough on his outstanding career,” former Giants manager Bruce Bochy, now with the Texans, said in a text message. “It's just a great story about a kid becoming one of the best shortstops in the history of the San Francisco Giants, the team he grew up with and loved.”
The Giants announced they will honor Crawford's career on April 26 at Oracle Park. He had a career batting average of .249, 147 home runs, and 748 RBIs, but he will be remembered for a long time for his ability to play as a key defensive player.
“It was an honor to know Brandon as a friend and teammate,” Buster Posey, the Giants' new president of baseball operations, said in a statement. “It was an honor to play with him for 14 years, from the first day we were drafted together in 2008 to 2021, our last year together. Whether it's moments like his grand slam in the wild-card game, his franchise-record seven hits in Miami, or his repeated masterful defensive plays and acrobatic pitches. Brandon made his mark in a way few athletes have ever done.”
There was speculation that Crawford would retire after the 2023 season when his contract with San Francisco expires, but he decided to stay one more year and joined the St. Louis Cardinals on a one-year contract worth $2 million. . He was released in August after batting .169 with one home run and four RBIs in 80 at-bats.
Crawford and his wife Jalyn have five young children, and family will be Crawford's main focus going forward.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who is married to Crawford's sister, Amy, praised all that Crawford accomplished on and off the field.
“Brandon is a great teammate, competitor, and the greatest shortstop in Giants history,” Cole said in a text message. “He was a great brother to me and a great role model for future shortstops and kids with championship dreams. I was fortunate to have some special moments with him along the way, including my Major League Baseball Debut, our first All-Star Game, and Jan We were able to share the line-up card delivery at Key Stadium. He made a lasting impact on the game we love and is respected by everyone who crossed his path, both within the team and against opponents. I left knowing that I was being praised. I love you, brother.”
As a boy, Crawford would lean on the railing of Candlestick Park, his hat tipped backwards, cheering for his beloved Giants, and would eventually become a star player for them.
When Crawford signed a two-year, $32 million contract in August 2021, on top of the $75 million, six-year contract he signed in November 2015, he realized he could play in one place for a long time. He expressed his gratitude.
“Being drafted by my hometown team and spending most of my career with them was far beyond my childhood dreams,” Crawford wrote in a post Wednesday. “I definitely pretended to win the World Series in my own backyard, but winning two? That was beyond anything I could have imagined.”
He is the Giants' career shortstop with 1,617 games played.
“Watching Brandon play was an absolute privilege, not just for me but for Giants fans around the world,” said President and CEO Larry Baer.
“He was an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, two-time World Series Champion, Lou Gehrig Award and Willie Mack Award winner, and always carried class, honor and respect. The Giants are incredibly lucky to have had Brandon as a member of the organization for 16 years — in fact, for all of his 37 years. First as young fans, they'll never forget that unforgettable photo of him leaning against the railing at Candlestick Park. And this chapter could have been his Giants' departure from San Francisco. As he concludes his career, his achievements in the game will be celebrated by fans, teammates and future generations of players who look up to him. Set.
