by Max Silberman

Les (Buster) Mc Crabb made his major league debut pitching for the A’s in 1939 and continued with the team until 1942.and then coached and threw batting practice.

In 1950 he made two brief appearances although Les only recalled one. He told attendees at one of the reunions he attended that Earle Mack had put him in a game by mistake since he was not on the active list and Connie Mack immediately took him out though he did retire the one batter he faced. Johnny Groth lined out to Sam Chapman, Mc Crabb related with a smile.

When first invited to the reunion weekends, he was hesitant as he was a deeply religious man and never missed church if possible.

He pitched batting practice at Shibe Park until 1954. After baseball he went into the mushroom business and lived in the Lancaster PA area. His passing leaves 57 former Philadelphia Athletics . We send our condolences to his family. We would like to thank Rusty Seitz for informing us of Les Mc Crabb’s death on October 8. An obituary appeared in the “Lancaster Intelligencer” for those who wish to read it.