Jack Crimian

John Melvin Crimian

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Olney High School
• Debut July 3, 1951
• Final Game May 6, 1957
• Born February 17, 1926 in Philadelphia, PA USA
• Died February 11, 2019 in Middletown, DE USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jack Crimian signed as an amateur free agent with the Philadelphia Blue Jays prior to the 1944 season. A pitcher, he was assigned to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class B Interstate League, where he went 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA, and was re-assigned to the Class D Bradford Blue Wings of the PONY League, where he went 14-14 with a 3.19 ERA for the balance of his first season. In 1945, Jack spent the year in the Army during World War II, getting back in time for the 1946 season. He went back to Wilmington, going 13-4 with a 3.26 ERA. On November 5, 1946, Crimian was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Philadelphia Phillies in the minor league draft.

Jack spent the next several years in the high minors, earning a couple of short stints with the 1951 and 1952 Cardinals squads, pitching 16 games, going 1-0 with an ERA of 9.32. In 1953, he had a good year with the Rochester Red Wings with a 13-5, 2.86 record. On December 2nd, he was traded by the Cardinals, with $100,000, to the Cincinnati Reds for Alex Grammas. On April 8, 1954, the International League Toronto Maple Leafs purchased him and he went 9-8 with a 2.34 ERA. Pitching for Toronto again in 1955, Jack was named the IL Pitcher of the Year when he was 19-6, pitching 210 innings with a league-leading 2.10 ERA. On October 12, 1955, Toronto traded him to the Kansas City Athletics for Marion Fricano and $60,000.

Crimian was with the A's for all of the 1956 season, as he appeared in 54 games and had a record of 4-8 with a 5.51 ERA. On December 5th, he was traded, along with Jim Finigan, Bill Harrington and Eddie Robinson, to the Detroit Tigers for Ned Garver, Gene Host, Virgil Trucks, Wayne Belardi and $20,000. Jack was with Detroit for four games in 1957, going 0-1 and checking out of the major leagues with a career mark of 5-9, 6.36 in 74 games. He spent the balance of 1957 through 1959 in the high minors, ending his 15-year pro baseball career in 1959 with the Maple Leafs. Crimian had an exceptionally good minor league record. The right-hander appeared in 614 contests, with a 151-91 record and 3.05 ERA in 1,993 innings.

Jack, who was later in the auto body repair business, died in 2019 at 92.

Notable Achievements

• 1955 Pitcher of the Year International League Toronto Maple Leafs

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page