Longtime major-league umpire Shag Crawford, patriarch of a family of prominent sports officials, died Wednesday. He was 90.
Jerry Crawford said his father died at an assisted living facility in suburban Philadelphia.
“For someone who was going to be 91 in August, he was in pretty good health for a long time,” Crawford said.
Jerry Crawford became a big-league umpire in the mid-1970s, around the time his brother, Joey, became an NBA official.
“When we were young, my brothers and my sister would go watch my dad work,” Jerry Crawford said. “I’m sure that had something to do with what we did.”
Born Henry Charles Crawford, Shag called more than 3,000 games as a National League umpire from 1956-75. He worked the World Series three times, the NL Championship Series twice and handled three all-star games.
In the 1969 World Series between Baltimore and the New York Mets, he ejected Orioles manager Earl Weaver in Game 4 during an argument about balls and strikes.
Crawford, one of the founders of the umpires’ union, ended his active career in 1975 after getting into a dispute with baseball over the rotation of umpires in the World Series.
Indians: Travis Hafner agreed to a $57 million, four-year contract extension through the 2012 season.
Hafner, the Indians’ designated hitter, is making $3.95 million this year, and Cleveland had a 2008 option for a minimum $4.95 million. Under the new deal, he will receive more money next year.
The new agreement includes a team option for 2013.
Hafner is batting .262 with 14 homers and 57 RBIs this season after hitting .308 last year with 42 homers and 117 RBIs.
Astros: Right-hander Brad Lidge (oblique) threw a perfect inning in a rehab outing for Double-A Corpus Christi (Texas) and said he expects to rejoin Houston for Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
Rangers: First baseman Mark Teixeira (quadriceps) went 0-for-2 with two walks in a rehabilitation start for Double-A Frisco (Texas) and said he expects to be activated for Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Mets: Rickey Henderson is replacing Rick Down as hitting coach.
Henderson, who had been a special instructor for the Mets this season, is a 10-time all-star who set career records for stolen bases (1,406) and runs (2,295). He was the AL MVP in 1990.
Diamondbacks: Arizona changed hitting coaches, promoting Rick Schu to replace Kevin Seitzer.
Minors: Former major- league outfielder Timo Perez had three hits and two RBIs to lead the International League to a 7-5 victory over the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Albuquerque.
Perez, playing at Toledo (Ohio) in the Detroit Tigers’ system, hit a double and two singles and was chosen as the game’s MVP.
“You know, I’m very happy,” he said. “My career has been a little difficult, back and forth. I’ve never put my head down. I’m waiting for my opportunity to go back to the big leagues. You never know.”
The IL went up 7-2 in the fourth, but the PCL scored three runs in the bottom of the inning on a homer by Omaha’s Craig Brazell, a sacrifice fly by Clint Barmes of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and an RBI single by Iowa’s Eric Patterson.
Albuquerque’s Valentino Pascucci batted with two outs and one on in the ninth, but Norfolk’s Cory Doyne struck him out looking to earn the save.
