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We’re Contacted by Friend of Famous Yankee Shortstop, Frankie Crosetti!
“Frank Crosetti is the sparkplug of the Yankees. He’s their ‘holler guy’. Without him they wouldn’t have a chance.” –Rogers Hornsby
We always love it when we hear from a friend or relative of a former major leaguer. It makes no difference to us if he’s a star or a backup. Anyone who makes it to the majors is special in our eyes; and we’re glad to shine our “baseball spotlight” on him for a brief moment or two.
Today I’m happy to report that one of our readers, Frank Wanner, became friends with Frankie Crosetti during the retirement years of the famous Yankees shortstop.
Wanner shares with us Crosetti’s first-hand account of Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot” during the 1932 World Series. Did he or didn’t he? Read what Frankie had to say about it – someone who was actually there!
Frank Wanner lived near the Crosetti’s modest home in Stockton, California. One day during the Christmas season, Wanner build up his courage and decided to take some bottles of “a good red wine” over to the Crosetti household, hoping to make their acquaintance. Frank’s initiative paid off. The Crosetti’s received him warmly, although Wanner recalled Crosetti saying: “Thank you for the wine. I can’t drink that stuff anymore, but my wife likes it!”
Following this welcome reception, Wanner visited the Crosetti house many times and they became well acquainted. He recalled that Crosetti held Babe Ruth in the highest esteem and once remarked, “Babe Ruth saved baseball from the Black Sox scandal. His is the number that should be retired.” Wanner also remembers that Frankie Crosetti did not share in the “fat legend” of Babe Ruth, commenting, “That legend isn’t true. That happened as he aged. In his younger years, he was a great physical specimen.”
Frank Crosetti grew up in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, something of a breeding-ground for Italian-American baseball talent in the early decades of the 20th century. Tony Lazzeri, Charlie Silvera and the DiMaggio brothers, among others, hailed from the same neighborhood.
“Crow” played 17 years in the majors (1932-1948), all with the Yankees, before becoming their third base coach for another 20 years (1946-1968). The two-time All-Star also coached for the Seattle Pilots (1969) and the Minnesota Twins (1970-1971). As a player and third base coach, Crosetti was a member of 17 Yankee World Series championship teams, and a total of 23 pennant winners, the most of anybody in baseball history. It’s said that Crow waved home more than 16,000 runners during his 25 years in the third base coaches’ box. That has to be a record too.
Over his career Frank Crosetti hit .245, with 1541 hits, 1006 runs, 649 RBIs, 98 home runs, 113 stolen bases, and a .343 on-base percentage. He led the American League in plate appearances twice, stolen bases once, and hit-by-pitches eight times. Known as a slick-fielding shortstop with an ability to pull off the hidden-ball trick, he compiled a stellar .949 fielding percentage. His finest season was 1936, when, as the Yankee lead-off hitter, he hit .288 with 15 home runs, 78 RBIs, and scored 137 runs, all career highs. After a poor 1940 season, he lost his starting shortstop job to Phil Rizzuto, but got the job back when Rizzuto joined the Navy.
Although he hit only .174 in 29 World Series games, the 1936 World Series – the first of four straight Yankee championships – was his best. He hit .269 in the Bronx Bombers’ six game victory over the Giants. He also drove in the winning run in the Yankees’ 2-1 victory in Game Three.
Frank Wanner shared some interesting remembrances about his friendship with the famous Yankee and the time he spent at his house. He recalls Crosetti had a huge picture of his immigrant father, Domenico, in an old Italian military uniform in the hallway; and another of Babe Ruth in his den. As Crosetti related the story, Domenico was the reason Frankie got to play pro ball:
“Crosetti’s friends tried to persuade Dominico and Rochele Crosetti how good he was and to let him go pro. Rochele, in a thick Italian accent, kept saying ‘no…no.’ She thought ball players were not the best people. His father listened both ways. Then he ended the discussion by saying: ‘Frankie’s going to play’a base’a ball.’ “
Concerning the famous Babe Ruth “Called Shot,” Frank Wanner related Crosetti’s unique, eye-witness account of the well-publicized incident:
“Crow was there as a player. He was the Yankee shortstop in the 1932 World Series, so his story is solid. He said the Babe was merely wagging his finger at the Cub pitcher, Charlie Root, saying as he did, ‘It only takes one! It only takes one!’ That’s what Frankie Crosetti told me. I’ve never seen that version anywhere before, but it makes sense. Wagging a finger at the pitcher would look like he was pointing to center field.”
Frankie Crosetti passed away in 2002, aged 91 in Stockton. He was survived by Norma, his wife of 63 years; son, John; and daughter, Ellen.
Many thanks to Frank Wanner for sharing with us some of his reminisces of Frankie “Crow” Crosetti here on Old-Time Baseball Photos.
Gary Livacari
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