Best right fielders in MLB history No. 9: Sam Crawford
Stats: .309/.362/.452, 97 HR, 367 SB, 760/580 BB/K, 10,610 PA, 75.2 bWAR
If not for his incredible teammate in Detroit, Ty Cobb, Crawford would have been one of the most revered players in the history of the Tigers. Sam Crawford was originally part of the Cincinnati team in 1899, moving to the Tigers before the 1903 season, immediately having an impressive year for the Tigers, hitting .335 and leading the league with 25 triples.
Crawford was considered one of the “sluggers” of his day, standing 6′ and weighing in at an estimated 185-195 pounds. He used that power to pound balls into the gaps and his long legs for the era to leg out loads of triples, eventually becoming the career leader, the only player who has ever eclipsed 300 career triples. For comparison, no player that has played in the last 40 years has even achieved 150 career triples or half of Crawford’s total.
Cobb and Crawford butted heads hard in the Tigers outfield, and the significant salary increases given Cobb and not Crawford in spite of both being elite players wore on Crawford as well as Cobb’s brash style. Cobb blamed Crawford for the hazing he received early in his career, and Crawford felt he was often mistreated on the basepaths and by pitchers by opponents looking to respond to Cobb’s actions.
The dispute between the two led to one of the more peculiar departures from the game, as Crawford led the Tigers in RBI in 1914 and 1915 before suffering through an injury-riddled 1916, when he still legged out 13 triples and hit .286. After hitting .173 in 1917, he left the Tigers and did not seek out further major league employment, instead choosing to play in the Pacific Coast League, in spite of being just 39 hits shy of being only the 4th member of the 3,000 hit club (Cobb, ironically, would become the fourth member but not until 1921).
Crawford led the league in triples an astonishing six times over his career. He also led the league in RBI three times, total bases twice, and doubles, runs, and home runs once each. He was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1957.