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Three-time All-Star Brandon Crawford announced Wednesday he’s retiring from MLB after 14 seasons.
“Baseball has given me, Jalynne, and the kids more than we ever thought possible, and for that we are so thankful,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to have the career I did without their love and support every step of the way. I also want to thank my parents, siblings, in-laws, coaches, teammates, fans, and everyone else who guided, helped, and rooted for me throughout my career. Now it’s time for the next chapter, and I can’t wait for the new opportunities and different experiences that it will create.”
Alex Pavlovic @PavlovicNBCS
Brandon Crawford announced his retirement on his Instagram page. He grew up dreaming of being the Giants shortstop and ended up doing it for 13 seasons. A pretty incredible career: pic.twitter.com/VJRKMnql5I
The San Francisco Giants, for whom Crawford spent all but one of his years in the majors, saluted the decorated shortstop:
SFGiants @SFGiants
After 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, including 1,655 games in an #SFGiants uniform, Brandon Crawford has officially retired.
Thank you for the incredible memories, Craw! 🧡 pic.twitter.com/tfNu1uJqkq
Crawford’s career was almost scripted straight out of Hollywood.
A native of Mountain View, California, he grew up as a Giants fan in the Bay Area. By now, every MLB fan has seen the photo of him forlornly staring into the camera at Candlestick Park in 1992 when the team’s fate in San Francisco was up in the air.
The Giants selected Crawford in the fourth round of the 2008 draft and he made his debut in 2011. The following year, he appeared in 143 games as the Giants won the World Series for the seventh time. Another title followed in 2014.
Over time, the 37-year-old wrote his name into the franchise’s record books. He’s seventh all-time in games played (1,654) and accounted for the fourth-most defensive WAR (14.3), per Baseball Reference.
Crawford’s achievements stand on their own. In addition to the three All-Star nods and two titles, he was a four-time Gold Glove winner and a Silver Slugger recipient in 2015.
The fact those all came while he was playing for his hometown team made them so much more special.
“It wasn’t a perfect career, but it’s as close as anyone is going to get with any team,” The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee wrote in October 2023. “Brandon Crawford was the Giants for 13 seasons, and the Giants will be Crawford for longer than that.
“What an absolute gift that he got to have that career, and what an absolute gift we got to watch it. What an absolute gift that he got to live it.”
As with many things, Crawford’s time in San Francisco didn’t exactly end on a positive note. He made it clear he preferred to stay with the Giants but that the feeling wasn’t mutual. As a result, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a forgettable 2024 campaign, posting a .169/.263/.282 slash line in 28 games.
Crawford’s time in St. Louis will only be a footnote in an otherwise improbable run.
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