Gene Crumling
Eugene Leon Crumling (April 5, 1922 – February 11, 2012) was a backup catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1945 season. Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 180 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.[1]
| Gene Crumling | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Catcher | |||
| Born: April 5, 1922 Wrightsville, Pennsylvania | |||
| Died: February 11, 2012 (aged 89) Yorkana, Pennsylvania | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| September 11, 1945 | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 29, 1945 | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 6 | ||
| At bats | 12 | ||
| Hits | 1 | ||
| RBI | 1 | ||
| Batting average | .083 | ||
| Teams | |||
Born and raised in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, Crumling earned the nickname "Lefty" while a boy, before he began throwing right-handed. Born with the surname Crumbling, he dropped the 'b' from it following high school.[2]
Crumling was one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the majors during World War II. He joined the Cardinals late in the 1945 season, as part of a catching tandem that included Ken O'Dea, Del Rice and Walker Cooper. He posted a .083 batting average in six games.[3]
He also played for eight Minor league teams from 1941 through 1952, hitting a .236 average in 895 games.[4]
Besides this, he managed for three seasons in the Interstate League (1948, 1951) and the Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League (1952).[4]
Following his baseball career, he worked as a bartender for many years.[2]
Crumling died in Yorkana, Pennsylvania, at the age of 89.[5]