We have another member of the 1957 World Series Championship team, Del Crandall, who would represent Milwaukee in eight All-Star Games. Crandall lost a couple of years early due to serving his country during the Korean War, but upon his return stateside, he established himself as one of the best defensive Catchers in baseball and an elite pitch caller whom pitchers trusted implicitly. Crandall won four of the first Gold Gloves issued to Catchers in the National League (the first was won by one person regardless of the league), and had that piece of hardware been issued before 1957, he would have probably won another four. Crandall would lead all National League Catchers in Total Zone Runs six times and Fielding Percentage four times.
Crandall was not the best hitter, but, for his defense, not many catchers were when he played. He would accumulate 1,176 Hits and 170 Home Runs as a Brave, and he would have seven seasons where he received MVP votes, his highest being a tenth-place finish in 1958.
In 2003, Crandall was the lone inductee to the Braves Hall of Fame.






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