Photo via Yahoo Sports

Carl Crawford to throw ALCS Game One first pitch

Tampa Bay Rays legend Carl Crawford will deliver the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the 2026 American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field, marking his return to the scene of one of the franchise’s most iconic moments. Crawford, a four-time All-Star and Rays Hall of Famer, played left field during the team’s 2008 ALCS run, including the historic Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was on the field as Dave Wills declared the Rays’ improbable season had another chapter.

Drafted in the second round out of high school in 1999, Crawford became the Rays’ Opening Day left fielder in 2003 and hit a walk-off homer on Opening Day that year, launching a career defined by speed and power. He led the AL in stolen bases from 2003 to 2007 and set a Major League record with six stolen bases in a single game in 2009, while also holding Rays franchise records for hits, singles, triples, and stolen bases.

After a storied career spanning 1,716 games and 480 stolen bases, Crawford was inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame in 2023 as part of its inaugural class.

Up nextMLB· 2h ago

Fox debuts new MLB scorebug to mixed reviews