March 18th, 2008 @ 1:09 am by Cliffe | Sorted Old Sport
This is a slight change to the Player O The Week Feature, this time getting to know an old Mariner’s coach. Del Crandall was not with our club for long (just 83-84), but also enjoyed success as a player from the late 40’s until late 60’s. Crandall coached the Brewers from 72-75 and between this and his Mariners coaching career, spent time as a door-to-door salesman selling tooth cleanings, fillings, and root canals in Southern California. As an “old school” manager, Crandall did not permit his players to wear beards and required ties to be worn on the road.
Stylish eyewear, however, was just fine. Here are some candid shots from the ‘84 season.
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Del Crandall striking a pose on the diamond, 1984.
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Crandall picks up some lumber during Mariners practice.
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Coaching during a spring training game, 1984.
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March 18th, 2008 @ 8:51 am
Of course he didn’t last long. No beards = No wins. That’s just common sense!
March 18th, 2008 @ 10:27 am
I’d call BS on you, Jonathan, except that the evidence is pretty strong. That ‘84 team STUNK. Not as bad as ‘83, but we were just embarrassingly terrible back then, even with a young Alvin Davis and Mark Langston. For me, ‘83-’84 is when I first started to notice that there was something DIFFERENT about the M’s from other teams. The glow of having an actual major league team had worn off, and we were stuck with a bunch of incompetents who were plainly never going to win ever again. We always seemed to have four or five guys on the field who were contenders for “worst player in the league”, and embarrassments like Gorman Thomas were presented as if they were real celebrities. To top it off, I moved to California that year, and the only chance I had to watch the M’s was in Oakland, amidst 2,000 people, all of whom were drunk and hostile. I remember one game in ‘84 where this guy sat behind me (he moved there on purpose in an otherwise empty section) and blew one of those plastic horns directly into my ear the whole game. If I moved, he moved. Ah, baseball.
March 18th, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
During the early 80s I was a member of the “Junior Mariners.” For pennies I was allowed to go to a bunch of games, sit in the bleachers, and meet real actual Mariners for autographs before the game. Ah, that precious Bob Stoddard autograph! I shall cherish it forever!
March 19th, 2008 @ 1:44 am
SWEET