Thoughts on Brandon Crawford

 Brandon Crawford announced his retirement from Major League Baseball today in a lengthy heartfelt Instagram post.  As you read through it you can almost see crestfallen little kid leaning on the rail at Candlestick Park after what could have been the last game the San Francisco Giants ever played except now that kid has awakened from a very long dream and is still trying to convince himself it is all true.

We all know his story by now so I am not going repeat it again here but what a career and what a great Giants player!  He probably won't be a Hall of Famer in Cooperstown NY, but he's a hall of famer in my book.  He is easily the best Giants shortstop in my lifetime and arguably the best in franchise history.  He didn't have a classic shortstop body and he probably didn't have the greatest range but he had incredible balance and eye-hand coordination enabling him to make plays other shortstops don't make. Then there was the arm.  The arm was special.  An absolute cannon with pinpoint accuracy that also allowed him to make plays other shortstops don't make.  He was an incredible pleasure to watch play for 13 seasons including two World Series Championships that I am pretty sure the Giants don't win without him.  

I wish he had retired as a Giant after the 2023 season but I also understand he had to be convinced in his own mind it was time.  The Giants already announced they will honor him on April 26 which happens to be when the Texas Rangers managed by Bruce Bochy will be in town.  That's going to be some ovation!