UCLA's Brandon Crawford Promoted to San Francisco Giants
May 26, 2011
2011 Media Guide (Viewable) | 2011 Media Guide (PDF)
SAN FRANCISCO - Former UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford has been promoted to the San Francisco Giants' major league ballclub, as announced by the organization on Thursday.
A three-year starting shortstop at UCLA from 2006-08, has batted .323 with three home runs, five doubles and 15 RBI in 14 games for the San Jose Giants (high-A, California League) this month. Crawford's spring training was abbreviated due to a finger injury.
A native of Pleasanton, Calif., and longtime Giants' fan, Crawford has spent the last two seasons playing in the minor leagues. After a brief stint in the Arizona League in August 2008, he split time between the San Jose Giants and Connecticut Defenders (double-A, Eastern League) in 2009. Last season, he batted .241 in 79 games with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (double-A), Eastern League) before missing nearly two months of the second half of the season with a broken wrist.
Crawford was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft by San Francisco following his junior season at UCLA. He started all 179 games for the Bruins in his three seasons with the program, making 177 starts at shortstop (two as designated hitter in 2007). A career .319 hitter at UCLA, Crawford totaled 20 career home runs, 13 triples, 44 doubles, 136 RBI and 145 runs.
Undrafted out of Foothill High School, Crawford helped UCLA advance to three consecutive NCAA Regionals for the first time in school history. He posted a career-best .335 batting average in all 61 games in 2007, helping UCLA sweep the NCAA Regional at Long Beach State and advance to an NCAA Super Regional at Cal State Fullerton.
Crawford becomes the fourth UCLA ballplayer, the first position player, under head coach John Savage to advance to the major leagues. He is the fourth Bruin from UCLA's 2006 ballclub to earn a major-league promotion, joining Hector Ambriz, Dave Huff and Josh Roenicke in that category.