Sam Crane (cranesa02)

Samuel Byrem Crane
(Lucky or Red)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 154 lb.

• Debut October 2, 1914
• Final Game April 23, 1922
• Born September 13, 1894 in Harrisburg, PA USA
• Died November 12, 1955 in Philadelphia, PA USA

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Biographical Information

Shortstop Sam Crane played seven seasons in the big leagues. He is not to be confused with the earlier player of the same name, Sam Crane.

Born in Pennsylvania, he was with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1914 to 1916, at a time when they were great (in 1914) and terrible (1915-1916). He appeared in 32 games for the Washington Senators in 1917, sold there that February. After spending 1918 and 1919 in the minors with the Baltimore Oriolesand Indianapolis Indians, he came back to the majors in 1920 and 1921 with the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he saw most of his playing time, and finally in 1922 with the Brooklyn Robins for three games. Crane also played 11 seasons in the minors, spending 1922-1925 with the Seattle Indians of the Pacific Coast League.

On September 25, 1929, Crane was found guilty of second degree murder of his sweetheart, one Della Lyter (whom he had left his wife to pursue), which had taken place on August 3 in Harrisburg, PA. On March 26, 1930, he was found guilty of second degree murder of his sweetheart's beau, one John Oren, in the same incident with Lyter on August 3. Trailing them to a side room in a saloon and drunk as a skunk, Sam fired five shots, two hitting Lyter and two hitting Oren. While the state of Pennsylvania had sought the death penalty, Crane was sentenced to a term of 18 to 36 years combined for his crimes. Improbably, he was paroled in 1944, in no small part due to the pleas of Sam's former manager, Connie Mack.

Related Sites

• Sam Crane at the SABR Bio Project