Del Crandall

Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1949-1966)

Del Crandall was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1966 for 5 teams, including the Boston Braves, a span of 18 seasons. In 1,573 career games, he hit .254 with 1,276 hits, 179 home runs, and 657 RBI. Del Crandall was a 8-time All-Star and a 4-time Gold Glove.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .254
HR 179
RBI 657
H 1,276
OPS .716
PIV -35
Position
Catcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'1" / 180 lb
Born
3/5/1930 in Ontario, CA, USA
Died
5/5/2021 in Mission Viejo, CA, USA
MLB Debut
1949-06-17
Last Game
1966-09-25
Awards
8× All-Star · 4× Gold Glove

Full name: Delmar Wesley Crandall

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Career Batting Statistics

Del Crandall — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,573 5,026 585 1,276 179 18 179 657 26 424 477 .254 .312 .404 .716 -35

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .312 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .404 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .716 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Del Crandall Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1949 BSN NL 67 228 21 60 10 1 4 34 2 9 18 .263 .262 (avg) .343 (-15%) .384 (-4%) .727 (-9%) -415.7
1950 BSN NL 79 255 21 56 11 0 4 37 0 13 24 .220 .265 (-17%) .346 (-26%) .401 (-23%) .747 (-24%) -1068.4
1953 ML1 NL 116 382 55 104 13 1 15 51 2 33 47 .272 .264 (+3%) .335 (-2%) .397 (+8%) .733 (+4%) 226.2
1954 ML1 NL 138 463 60 112 18 2 21 64 0 40 56 .242 .261 (-7%) .333 (-8%) .390 (+9%) .723 (+1%) -2.9
1955 ML1 NL 133 440 61 104 15 2 26 62 2 40 56 .236 .258 (-9%) .332 (-10%) .393 (+16%) .726 (+4%) 178.5
1956 ML1 NL 112 311 37 74 14 2 16 48 1 35 30 .238 .258 (-8%) .331 (-6%) .397 (+13%) .728 (+5%) 183.4
1957 ML1 NL 118 383 45 97 11 2 15 46 1 30 38 .253 .257 (-2%) .323 (-5%) .391 (+5%) .715 (avg) -18.5
1958 ML1 NL 131 427 50 116 23 1 18 63 4 48 38 .272 .257 (+5%) .324 (+7%) .394 (+16%) .719 (+12%) 1027.9
1959 ML1 NL 150 518 65 133 19 2 21 72 5 46 48 .257 .256 (avg) .323 (-2%) .392 (+8%) .715 (+3%) 301.6
1960 ML1 NL 142 537 81 158 14 1 19 77 4 34 36 .294 .255 (+15%) .323 (+3%) .387 (+11%) .711 (+7%) 669.7
1961 ML1 NL 15 30 3 6 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 .200 — — — — 0.0
1962 ML1 NL 107 350 35 104 12 3 8 45 3 27 24 .297 .257 (+15%) .326 (+7%) .393 (+6%) .719 (+6%) 416.3
1963 ML1 NL 86 259 18 52 4 0 3 28 1 18 22 .201 .246 (-18%) .308 (-19%) .371 (-33%) .680 (-26%) -1014.9
1964 SFN NL 69 195 12 45 8 1 3 11 0 22 21 .231 .250 (-8%) .312 (-1%) .377 (-13%) .690 (-8%) -193.7
1965 PIT NL 60 140 11 30 2 0 2 10 1 14 10 .214 .245 (-13%) .310 (-7%) .371 (-27%) .682 (-18%) -348.5
1966 CLE AL 50 108 10 25 2 0 4 8 0 14 9 .231 .248 (-7%) .309 (+3%) .376 (-4%) .685 (-1%) 24.1
Career · 16 seasons 1,573 5,026 585 1,276 179 18 179 657 26 424 477 .254 — — — — -35

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Del Crandall — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
13 44 5 10 0 0 2 4 4 11 .227

Playoff Batting by Year

Del Crandall — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1958 WS ML1 7 25 4 6 0 0 1 3 3 10 .240
1957 WS ML1 6 19 1 4 0 0 1 1 1 1 .211

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1571 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Del Crandall — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home780241527759178303.245
Away7912602306682101355.262

Last 10 Games — Batting

Del Crandall — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1966-09-25 CLEKC1W 000000000
1966-09-14 CLEKC1L 200000000
1966-09-09 CLELAAW 310000000
1966-09-04 CLEDETL 300000000
1966-08-31 CLEBALL 200000010
1966-08-27 CLETEXL 100000010
1966-08-23 CLEBALW 301000000
1966-08-21 CLECHWL 000000000
1966-08-19 CLECHWW 100000000
1966-08-18 CLECHWW 301000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Del Crandall — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 14 9 84 7 0 9
C 1479 1133 7352 759 89 116
OF 9 9 13 0 1 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Del Crandall — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1949 BSN C 63 0 287 39 6 5
1950 BSN 1B 1 0 8 0 0 0
1950 BSN C 75 0 311 41 12 7
1953 ML1 C 108 0 566 62 9 13
1954 ML1 C 136 133 665 79 8 11
1955 ML1 C 131 124 611 67 10 8
1956 ML1 C 109 87 448 44 2 9
1957 ML1 1B 1 0 2 1 0 0
1957 ML1 C 102 92 414 59 6 11
1957 ML1 OF 9 9 13 0 1 0
1958 ML1 C 124 120 659 64 7 6
1959 ML1 C 146 142 783 71 5 15
1960 ML1 C 141 139 764 70 10 9
1961 ML1 C 5 5 17 3 0 0
1962 ML1 1B 5 3 28 1 0 2
1962 ML1 C 90 88 460 54 3 7
1963 ML1 1B 7 6 46 5 0 7
1963 ML1 C 75 67 413 38 4 2
1964 SFN C 65 57 402 30 3 7
1965 PIT C 60 40 248 23 1 4
1966 CLE C 49 39 304 15 3 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Del Crandall Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1479
First Base 14
Left Field 1
Right Field 9

Awards & Honors

Del Crandall — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1962 Gold Glove C
1962 TSN All-Star C
1960 Gold Glove C
1960 TSN All-Star C
1959 Gold Glove C
1958 Gold Glove C
1958 TSN All-Star C

Award Voting History

Del Crandall — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1962 Most Valuable Player NL 26th 2.0 280 0
1960 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 31.0 336 0
1959 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 27.0 336 0
1958 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 48.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 8.0 336 0
1954 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 13.0 336 0
1953 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 1.0 336 0
1949 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 3.0 24 3

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Del Crandall (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Ramon Hernandez
    .263 avg, 169 HR
  2. 96
    Ernie Whitt
    .249 avg, 134 HR
  3. 95
    Gus Triandos
    .244 avg, 167 HR
  4. 95
    Kurt Suzuki
    .255 avg, 143 HR
  5. 93
    Matt Wieters
    .249 avg, 146 HR
  6. 92
    Bengie Molina
    .274 avg, 144 HR

Del Crandall: the record in brief

The profile opens with Del Crandall's first major league game on June 17, 1949; the last one listed came on September 25, 1966. Crandall played for the Boston Braves (1949 to 1950), the Milwaukee Braves (1953 through 1963), the San Francisco Giants (1964), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1965), and the Cleveland Indians (1966). Crandall played primarily as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on March 5, 1930, in Ontario, CA, USA and a listed size of 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. Crandall died on May 5, 2021, in Mission Viejo, CA, USA. Del Crandall was the playing name; the full given name is Delmar Wesley.

In 1,573 games and 5,026 at bats, Crandall batted .254 with 1,276 hits, plus 179 home runs, 657 runs batted in, and 26 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .312 and .404 give Crandall a career OPS of .716. Crandall hit .254 while the league hit .256 over the same span, a figure close to average.

Frequently Asked Questions about Del Crandall

What years did Del Crandall play?
Del Crandall played in Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1966.
Was Del Crandall a pitcher?
No. Del Crandall was a position player (Catcher).
How many home runs did Del Crandall hit?
Del Crandall hit 179 career home runs with 1,276 hits.
What teams did Del Crandall play for?
Del Crandall played for 4 teams: the Milwaukee Braves (1949–1950, 1953–1963), the San Francisco Giants (1964), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1965), and the Cleveland Indians (1966).
Did Del Crandall win an MVP award?
No. Del Crandall did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Del Crandall win?
Del Crandall won 4 Gold Gloves (1958, 1959, 1960, and 1962). He was selected to 8 All-Star Games.
What were Del Crandall's career stats?
In 1,573 games, Del Crandall had 1,276 hits, 179 home runs, 657 RBI, 585 runs, and 26 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
What position did Del Crandall play?
Del Crandall played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Del Crandall and how much did he weigh?
Del Crandall was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds.
How many home runs did Del Crandall hit each season?
Del Crandall's home runs by season: 4 in 1949, 4 in 1950, 15 in 1953, 21 in 1954, 26 in 1955, 16 in 1956, 15 in 1957, 18 in 1958, 21 in 1959, 19 in 1960, 0 in 1961, 8 in 1962, 3 in 1963, 3 in 1964, 2 in 1965, and 4 in 1966. His most in one season was 26, in 1955.
What was Del Crandall's career batting average?
Del Crandall batted .254 over his career, with 1,276 hits in 5,026 at bats.
How many RBI did Del Crandall have?
Del Crandall drove in 657 runs in his career.
Is Del Crandall in the Hall of Fame?
No. Del Crandall has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
How many All-Star Games did Del Crandall make?
Del Crandall was selected to 8 All-Star Games.