Top 106 Baseball Players: #89 - Sam Crawford

Sam Crawford

Sam Crawford was one of the early slugging stars of Major League Baseball, and he was also a great baserunner, which he displayed throughout his 19-year career and which earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Crawford reached the Majors in 1899 at age 19, playing for the Cincinnati Reds. It took him a couple of years to grow into a star, but when he did, he led the league in at least one batting category 10 times in 15 seasons.

1901 was his first season as a league leader, when he hit 16 home runs, including 12 that were inside the park, which is still the single season record over 100 years later. Over the next 2 seasons he led the league in what became his signature category, triples, even as he jumped teams to Detroit between those seasons.

After a few years in Detroit, he was joined by Ty Cobb, and they became one of the most potent outfield combinations of all time, batting one after the other in the lineup, and becoming famous for their skill at the double steal, where each player would steal a base at the same time.

From 1907-1909, the dynamic duo led the Tigers to the AL pennant in 3 straight seasons, but they lost in the World Series in all 3 attempts, as both Cobb and Crawford slumped in the Series, with neither reaching .300, though both had career batting averages well above that.

Late in his career, Crawford became one of the best at knocking runners in, reaching 100 RBI's 5 times in 6 seasons and leading the league 3 times. He also led the league in triples 4 more times during those seasons, including 26 in 1914, which is still the AL record.

In total, Crawford ended his career with 309 triples, which is still the Major League record, and he also had 51 inside-the-park home runs, which is #2 all time. He led the league in runs, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI's, and total bases at different points in his career.

Crawford was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1957, and by that time he was living in a small cabin in the California desert. When reporters showed up to interview him, the locals were all surprised to find out that their neighbor had once played baseball. His spot in the Hall was well-deserved, especially considering his triples record, and he definitely deserves his spot on this list as well.