SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford can probably count on one hand the number of times he has seen the tarp come out at Oracle Park over his 13-year MLB career, but as he stood behind the cage on Saturday, the grounds crew rushed to cover the infield. It rained for a few minutes after the Giants went through their workout, but nothing can put a damper on what’s ahead for the shortstop.
Crawford went through a full workout Saturday and said he’s physically ready to come off the IL on Sunday, when he’ll make what is almost certainly his final appearance as a Giant. The organization has a lot planned to celebrate Crawford, and he gave a preview of one moment, saying his four young kids will throw out the ceremonial first pitches.
“We’ve been working on that a little,” Crawford said, smiling. “(They’ve been) inconsistent. That’s what we’ve been working on.”
Crawford is expected to start at shortstop on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and interim manager Kai Correa said the staff already has talked about the proper way to let him soak it all in. The Giants are being coy about their plans, but Crawford said there’s nothing obvious left on his bucket list.
The major item got crossed off earlier this year when he was finally allowed to pitch. Asked about playing all nine positions, he noted that catching doesn’t seem to be very fun.
With the Giants eliminated from the MLB playoff race and the managerial decision now in their rearview mirror, they plan to make Sunday all about Crawford, who noted that “being the center of attention isn’t my favorite thing in the world.”
He’ll have no choice on Sunday. It’ll be his day, and then he’ll head home to Arizona and dig into his future. Crawford reiterated Saturday that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll attempt to play a 14th MLB season next year.
“I’ll get a chance to unwind and think about it a little bit more,” Crawford said. “There’s enough to worry about during the season. When (the media asks) about it, I’m like, ‘I haven’t really thought about it until you bring it up.’ I’ll take the time to unwind, think about it a little bit more, talk to Jalynne and see what kind of interest is out there and then figure out the right situation and right answer.”
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