SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford was in a checkered suit Saturday, but No. 35 was still represented at Oracle Park, and not just with the thousands who came to watch the best shortstop in franchise history get honored. Justin Verlander, Friday night’s starter, is wearing the number this season after an offseason conversation with Crawford.
It wasn’t hard for Crawford to sign off on giving the number to a future Hall of Famer, but Saturday’s ceremony was a reminder that the organization has some difficult decisions to make down the line.
The front row of guests for the ceremony included president of baseball operations Buster Posey, former manager Bruce Bochy and longtime Giants ace Matt Cain. The Giants have no intention of ever letting anyone wear No. 28 or No. 15 again, but Cain’s No. 18 has been worn by eight players since he retired, including Curt Casali and Donovan Walton last year. So, what are the Giants going to do with No. 35 when Verlander is done in orange and black?
“We haven’t gotten there. Today is a thank you for Brandon, the soonest we could thank him and show gratitude for his career as a Giant,” team president and CEO Larry Baer said. “That [number decision] can be considered later.”
The best shortstop in franchise history is part of a group of teammates who are franchise legends, but also unlikely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which traditionally has been the standard for the Giants to retire a number. The Giants changed their thinking to honor Barry Bonds, who was left out of Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and that opened the door to also retire Will Clark’s No. 22.
Brad Grems, who is in charge of the clubhouse, has followed Mike Murphy’s lead in not giving out No. 55 (Tim Lincecum) or No. 40 (Madison Bumgarner). But at some point the Giants will have to decide where they draw the lines for longtime Giants who will go on their Wall of Fame but also could be in consideration to have their numbers retired.
“We’ll try to honor that group. We haven’t only [retired numbers for] Hall of Famers, but it has primarily been Hall of Famers,” Baer said. “We’ll have to come up with a philosophy. There are other guys in his era whose jerseys have not been retired, too. We have to think it through.”
The Giants already have retired 11 numbers, plus No. 42, which is retired across the game for Jackie Robinson. Bochy and Posey will be inducted into Cooperstown in the next few years and join that list.
Regardless of the future standard, Crawford has at least one more big day coming at Oracle Park. He’ll soon be back to go on the organization’s Wall of Fame, which honors former Giants who played at least nine seasons, five seasons with at least one MLB All-Star selection, or won three rings. Brandon Belt would clear the bar, along with Lincecum, Bumgarner, Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik, who flew in from New York to attend the Crawford ceremony.
Panik soon will visit Double-A Richmond as an instructor and plans to work with players at one affiliate every month. With Posey now in charge, others from the championship era are expected to return to the organization in some capacity, but Crawford reiterated on Saturday that he plans to take this full year off. That was always the plan in retirement, and it’s not like he has much free time anyway.
The Crawfords have five children, four of whom are very active in school and youth sports and a fifth who is only a year and a half old. After giving his speech, Crawford said he’ll potentially join the Giants down the road in an official capacity, but for now he has his hands full.
“It’s been busy,” he said, smiling. “Even busier than baseball seasons, to be honest. But it’s been a lot of fun.”
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