#175 Del Crandall - Milwaukee Braves

Delmar Wesley Crandall
Milwaukee Braves
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  180
Born:  March 5, 1930, Ontario, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1949-1950; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1963; San Francisco Giants 1964; Pittsburgh Pirates 1965; Cleveland Indians 1966
As a Manager:  Milwaukee Brewers 1972-1975; Seattle Mariners 1983-1984
Died:  May 5, 2021, Mission Viejo, CA (age 91)

An often overlooked but important member of the Braves' line-up throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Del Crandall was an 11-time All-Star, a 4-time Gold Glove winner and he won a World Series ring with the Braves in 1957.  Crandall's work behind the plate was impressive.  He led the league in runners caught stealing five times and had the league's top fielding percentage for a catcher four times.  His receiving aided the careers of Hall of Famer Warren Spahn (#10) along with Lew Burdette (#219) and Bob Buhl (#244).  He hit at least 15 home runs or more every season between 1953 and 1960 and drove in over 50 runs in six of those seasons.

Following the 1963 season, and with Joe Torre waiting in the wings to take his place, Crandall was part of a seven-player deal that sent him to the Giants.  He finished his career as a back-up catcher with the Giants, Pirates and Indians between 1964 and 1966.  Crandall caught three no-hitters and batted .254 over 1,573 games.  He later managed the Brewers (1972-1975) and Mariners (1983-1984) compiling a managerial record of 364-469 with none of his teams finishing above fifth place.  He also spent time as a broadcaster with the White Sox and Brewers and as a minor league manager for various organizations.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #213
I went nuts and bought 16 cards for our 1956 Topps set on this day at the Sports Card & NASCAR Collectibles Show in Raleigh.  My records show the 16 cards set me back $55 which I would have considered to be a small fortune back then.  I hadn't yet moved back north yet, so I was still living in Raleigh at this time planning for my eventual escape.  I would have provided my Dad with an updated checklist following this show as he was back in New Jersey.

The Card / Braves Team Set
Crandall was exclusive to Bowman in 1955, and this marks his return to Topps after a one year absence.  The main photo is different than the photo used for his 1954 Topps card.  I'm calling the runner out in the action shot, as it appears as if Crandall has possession of the ball and has successfully blocked the plate from the runner's attempted hook slide.  The middle cartoon panel on the back of the card references his strong throwing arm and above-average fielding.

1956 Season

Crandall was the opening day and regular catcher for the Braves, making his fourth All-Star team in a row.  In 112 games, he batted .238 with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs.  The Braves came close to winning the pennant in 1956, finishing in second place and just a game behind the Dodgers with a 92-62 record.  Fred Haney had replaced former manager Charlie Grimm in June, and Haney went with his big three starting pitchers - Spahn, Burdette and Buhl - to start 15 of the team's final 17 games.

1950 Bowman #56

1954 Topps #12

1961 Topps #390

1974 Topps #99

1984 Topps #721

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #56
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (18):  1952-1954, 1956-1966, 1973-1975, 1984
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-DC

143 - Crandall non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/1/21.

Sources:  
1965 Topps Blog

Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia