Shortstop Brandon Crawford announced his retirement from baseball Wednesday, following a 14-year career in which he was named an All-Star three times and won two World Series championships. with the San Francisco Giants.
“Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and for the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the opportunities and experiences it has given me,” Crawford wrote in an Instagram post. “Time is precious. I’m incredibly grateful for all the years I’ve spent playing the game I love, but now it’s time for me to spend it with the people I’m most grateful for.”
“Thank you to everyone who has been there for me throughout the years. I had an incredible experience.”
A native of Mountain View, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crawford, 37, played for the St. Louis Cardinals last season after spending the first 13 years of his career with the Giants, who chose product of UCLA in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.
Crawford helped the Giants win titles in 2012 – his second season in the majors – and 2014. His first of three All-Star selections came in 2015, when he hit for an average .256 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs.
Crawford’s best season may have been 2021, when he achieved career bests in batting average (.298), home runs (24), RBIs (90) and of stolen bases (11). He won the last of his four Gold Gloves that season and also finished fourth in voting for National League MVP.
