Pleasanton Native Brandon Crawford Celebrated At Oracle Park

PLEASANTON, CA — Pleasanton hometown hero Brandon Crawford received a hero's welcome at Oracle Park, which hosted a day in his honor Saturday.

"Brandon Crawford Day" honored the 13-season career of the All-Star-winning shortstop, considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time. Crawford, who retired in December at age 37, was celebrated by friends and colleagues before a sellout audience that included his family. He was honored by friends and colleagues, including former manager Bruce Bochy and longtime teammate Buster Posey, who caught Crawford's ceremonial first pitch.

“He’s the guy you wanted the ball hit to, the guy you wanted at bat when the game was on the line,” Posey said in a speech, according to MLB.com.

Crawford grew up in Pleasanton, and played football, basketball and baseball for Foothill High School. He was also the starting quarterback for the Foothill Falcons. He always dreamed of playing for the San Francisco Giants, his “hometown team.”

His dream came true in 2008 when he was drafted to play for the Giants, where he developed into what many consider the greatest shortstop of all time. During his distinguished career, Crawford was a three-time All Star, a four-time Golden Glove winner, and a recipient of the Silver Slugger Award. He helped bring his team to two World Series championships, and was the sixth player in MLB history to hit a grand slam in his first game.

After 13 seasons with the Giants, Crawford signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. He played for the Cardinals for one season before announcing his retirement. He finishes his career with a .249 lifetime average, 147 home runs, and 1,404 hits, according to MLB.com.

"I may be stepping away from the field," Crawford told the crowd, "but I'll always be a Giant."