Jimmie Crutchfield

John William Crutchfield, born May 25, 1910 in Ardmore, Missouri, United States – died March 31, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, was an All-Star baseball player in Negro League baseball.

Career

An outfielder, at 5' 7" tall, and with a small frame, Jimmie Crutchfield made up for any physical shortcomings with a natural talent for the game and speed, both of which were backed up by a hard work ethic. Without power, he mastered bat handling to control the placement of the ball through a hit or a bunt that consistently provided for a good batting average. Crutchfield batted from the left side, while he threw with his right arm.

Crutchfield began his career with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1930 but the following year moved to the Indianapolis ABC's. When the team ran into financial difficulties, he left to play with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, where he remained for the next five years. Teamed with Ted Page^[1] and Cool Papa Bell, they formed what is considered the best outfield in the Negro Leagues. During this time, his performance earned him three appearances in the East-West All-Star game. In the 1935 game, Crutchfield made an astonishing catch when he chased down a long drive and leapt in the air, catching the ball in his bare hand. In 1941 he was named an All-Star again, this time as a member of the Chicago American Giants.

Crutchfield served in the military during World War II from 1943 to 1944.^[2]

Renowned for his personality, Jimmie Crutchfield exemplified the "team player" who was a stable and positive influence on the field and in the clubhouse. After his baseball career was over, he went to work for the United States Postal Service.

Jimmie Crutchfield died in Chicago in 1993 and was interred in the nearby Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois, buried in an unmarked grave until 2004 when Peoria, Illinois anesthesiologist Jeremy Krock contacted members of the Society for American Baseball Research to try and get a proper headstone on the grave of Crutchfield, who originally comes from the same town as Krock. This launched the Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project of which Dr. Krock still works with today.^[3]

References

• Riley, James A. (2002), The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf, pp. 201–202, ISBN 0-7867-0959-6 

External links

• Negro league baseball statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Negro leagues)
• Negro League Baseball Player's Association
• Find a Grave Bio