Happy Baseball Birthday...Wahoo Sam

Today we celebrate the Happy Baseball Birthday of Wahoo Sam Crawford.

Crawford was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, on April, 18, 1880.

Samuel Earl "Wahoo Sam" Crawford made his big league debut on September 10, 1899, for the Cincinnati Reds.

Wahoo Sam was a fast runner, and an even better hitter.

Crawford led the National League in home runs in 1901, smashing 16 dingers, many of them of the inside the park variety.

After four years with the Reds, Crawford joined the American League Detroit Tigers.

Crawford was a feared hitter, batting .309 in his 18 years in the big leagues.

Wahoo Sam is still, 97 years after his last game, the all time leader in big league triples, with 309.

Crawford played in 2,517 games between 1899 and 1917.

Crawford won the 1908 A.L. home run crown, smacking 8 dingers.

Those eight league leading home runs made Wahoo Sam the first player to win home run crowns in both big leagues.

Crawford collected 2,961 base hits in 9,570 at bats, scored 1,391 runs, stole 367 bases, drove in 1,525 runs, with 97 career HR and 458 doubles.

Wahoo Sam finished his career with a .452 slugging percentage, and only struck out 580 times.

After his release by the Tigers following the 1917 season, Crawford moved west, playing for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

Crawford was part of two PCL Championships with the Angels, in 1918 and 1921.

1921 was the last year Crawford played baseball.

After his playing days Crawford was the Head Baseball coach at the University of Southern California, and an umpire in the PLC.

Wahoo Sam Crawford was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957.

Crawford suffered a stroke and passed away a few weeks later, on June 15, 1968.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Wahoo Sam!