Photo via legacy.com
Del Crandall
Del Crandall
It’s the time of year where many are waiting for results from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but that’s not the only place where great baseball players await word on their place in history.Each year members of the local media cast a ballot for the Walk of Fame outside American Family Field, a place where 21 notable figures in the history of baseball in the city of Milwaukee are honored for their contributions. For three of the last four years, however, no player has reached the 65% voting threshold necessary for enshrinement. Prince Fielder broke that drought last year, but the greatest catcher in the history of the city is still waiting.
It’s nearly impossible to tell the story of the Milwaukee Braves’ 13 years in the city without mentioning Del Crandall. He returned from military service just in time to be a member of the inaugural 1953 team and was one of three players in Milwaukee’s first-ever contingent to the MLB All Star Game, joining future Hall of Famers Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews. All told Crandall appeared in eleven All Star games during his time in Milwaukee, including two each in 1959, 1960 and 1962, seasons when multiple games were played. To put that into perspective: In their 54-year franchise history the Brewers have had catchers selected to the All Star Game 11 times. Crandall had that many selections by himself.
Crandall was a member of the Braves for the first eleven of their 15 seasons in Milwaukee and few racked up a more notable tenure. He appeared in 1248 games in a Braves uniform during their years in the city, the third most behind Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews and Henry Aaron. Despite playing most of his career as a catcher he hit 162 home runs, fourth most of any Milwaukee Brave, and was an above average hitter overall at a position where it’s rare to get that kind of contribution. He also won four Gold Gloves in a span of five seasons from 1958-62.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Crandall was also a hero on Milwaukee’s first postseason teams: He caught 13 of the 14 games in the 1957 and 1958 World Series and collected ten hits, including a pair of big ones. He homered in the Braves’ win in Game 7 of the 1957 series, then did it again in their loss in Game 7 in 1958. He’s the only player in MLB history to hit a home run in the seventh game of back-to-back World Series.
The Braves traded Crandall to San Francisco following the 1963 season, but his Milwaukee baseball story didn’t end there: The Brewers hired him to manage their AAA affiliate in 1971, then promoted him to the majors in 1972 to make him the third manager in franchise history. He lasted most of four seasons through lean years in the organization, and he was still the winningest manager in franchise history for a decade after his 1975 departure. He’s still the seventh longest tenured and seventh winningest manager in Brewers’ history.
Crandall would almost certainly be remembered more often if he wasn’t overshadowed by some incredible teammates. He shared the field for much of his Braves tenure with future Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn, among others. There’s no dishonor in being the fourth best player on the field with that group of legends, but their accomplishments may have prevented Crandall from getting the kind of recognition he would have received if they weren’t around.
It would have been nice if the Brewers could have done more to honor Crandall’s legacy while he was still alive to witness it: He passed away in May of 2021 at the age of 91. Nonetheless, his 15 years as a player and manager in Milwaukee deserve recognition for both his longevity and star power. It’s long past time for him to join the legends enshrined in the Walk of Fame.
