Sam Crawford (pitcher)


Samuel "Sam" Crawford was an American pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues.
Born in Dallas, Texas, he played in the pre-Negro Leagues for the Chicago American Giants off and on from 1914 to 1917, and became a pitcher and eventually manager of the Kansas City Monarchs and J. L. Wilkinson's barnstorming farm-league team All Nations in 1923. He was known for combining a strong fastball with a knuckleball.
Crawford left Wilkinson's teams in February 1924 to manage the Birmingham Black Barons.

Post-playing career

Crawford opened up a news stand, after he left baseball, and made the news in 1955 after he was involved in a shooting. He allegedly shot and killed Pete William DeGraw, telling police that DeGraw came at him in a threatening fashion. Crawford fired shots at DeGraw's friend, who Crawford says had a knife.