"Crandall was a hell of a defensive catcher,"
Hank Aaron recalled. Joe Adcock said
Crandall "couldn't hit with Campanella, but strictly as a catcher he was the best."
Crandall replaced
Walker Cooper as the Braves' regular catcher and captain and led
NL backstops in fielding four times, winning four Gold Gloves. He appeared in eight
All-Star games, homering in one; he also homered in both the 1957 and '58 WS, and
three times collected over 20 HR in a season. After a shoulder problem sidelined
him for most of 1961, Crandall batted a career-high .297 in 1962. Twenty years later,
he managed Albuquerque (
Pacific Coast League) to a remarkable 94-38 record, but in
six years managing the Brewers and Mariners finished no higher than fifth. Crandall
joined the White Sox broadcast team in 1985.
(TJ)
Del Crandall
teams