Crawford debuted on September 16, 1964, at the age of 18. As a
rookie, he
batted .313 (5-for-16) with three
runs, one
double, and
stole a base. He had a pinch-hit single in Game 1 of the 1965
World Series. The Dodgers lost that game, although in seven games they defeated the
Minnesota Twins in the Series. On April 7, 1970,
Reds pitcher Gary Nolan defeated the Dodgers, 4–0, on a 2-hitter. Both hits were by Crawford, in the 4th and 9th innings. In his best season, 1973, he hit .295, with 14
home runs and 66
runs batted in, playing in 145 games. In 1974, after hitting .295 again with 11 home runs and 61 runs batted in during the season, he hit .333 and belted a home run against Oakland in the
World Series. Crawford played for the Dodgers through the end of the 1975 season, compiling a .268 average, with 74 home runs and 335 runs batted in during 989 games. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in March 1976, where he hit .304 in 120 games with nine home runs and 50 runs batted in. He was traded again after the 1976 season. The Cardinals sent Crawford to the
San Francisco Giants. He never appeared in a regular-season game with the Giants, who dealt him along with
Rob Sperring to the
Astros for
Rob Andrews and cash during
spring training on March 26, 1977. He played 42 games for the Astros and 59 games for Oakland Athletics that season, his last in the major leagues. During his 12-year career, Crawford appeared in 1,210 games and had a .268 batting average with 86 home runs and 419 runs batted in. His career numbers included 507
runs, 152 doubles, 35
triples, 47 stolen bases, and 431
walks for a .349
on-base percentage. His
fielding percentage was .975 at all three outfield positions. At age 57, Willie Crawford died at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, apparently of
kidney disease. He was buried in the
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery. ==References==