By: Preston Shoemaker
AltoonaCurve.com
As part of Black History Month, Minor League Baseball and the Curve are pleased to highlight some of recent members of the team and their accomplishments in the game.
Callix Crabbe managed the Curve during the 2023 season to a 67-68 record and now serves as the Pirates’ Offensive Coordinator for the Florida Complex and Latin America. A former major league infielder with the San Diego Padres, Crabbe spent 10 years playing professional baseball, including winning an Eastern League Championship with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2011. Crabbe is in his third season as a Pirates instructor after coaching stops at IMG Academy and with the Texas Rangers.
Q: Who were some of your role models that inspired your interest in baseball and supported you during your playing career?
A: I would say before I even got to the professional ranks, I was fortunate as a young boy to have a Little League coach that really inspired me to come back to practice every day. His name was Sam Daily, and he made it very enjoyable and educational. He has had an impact on players for 40 years in baseball and many of us have gone on to do tremendous things. He has two players that ended up becoming Major League Baseball players: myself being one and Calvin Pickering being the other one. He obviously jumps out immediately to me.
Once I came to the states, I was fortunate to meet a guy named CJ Stewert. He is very immersed in the African American community in Atlanta, Georgia, and designs programs that are very impactful for youth in the inner cities and guiding them through life and some of the challenges that young black men and women deal with on a daily basis.
Once I got into professional baseball, the first people I encountered with the Milwaukee Brewers were Nate Oliver and Davey Nelson. Davey was our Baserunning and Outfield Coordinator and Nate was our Infield Coordinator at the time. I only had the opportunity to be with them for one year, but in that time, the number of conversations we were able to have really spring boarded me into a career that was very structured and focus intentional. Davey took the time to converse with me and provide good human to human interactions, and he made it feel that it would be possible for me to make it to the Major Leagues. So early on, those are a few men that impacted me, especially African American men. There are many others, but those were the early ones.
Q: What were some of the most memorable moments from your playing career?
A: I think the easiest one that comes to mind is going to be my first Major League hit. There was also another mentor on that team, Tony Clark, the current president of the Major League Baseball Players Association. He was extremely impactful to me. He took care of me and guided and supported me very early on in the process and made me feel like I was a part of the team. We still have a relationship today and I just saw him in December.
But yeah, getting my first Major League hit and obviously getting the news that I had made the team was obviously a special moment, but even getting drafted for the second time was an extremely impactful moment in my life. I had this strong desire to be a Major League baseball player but also one that would represent the US Virgin Islands, being an African-Caribbean player. There are different challenges that I dealt with moving from the US Virgin Islands and coming to the states, and then trying to find a way to get the opportunity to be seen and get to college and really beat the odds being a smaller player. Coming from an island where baseball is good but has moments where we can have dry spells, it was special for me to get that news. Getting to represent the US Virgin Islands in an impactful way is something that I take very seriously, and I appreciate that moment in time.
Q: Thinking about those experiences, instructing has been a massive part of your career in your post-playing days. How have you been able to take those experiences and lessons and pass them on to the next generation of young, African American players who want to break through to get to the major leagues?
A: I think the first thing that I try to do is exercise empathy as often as I possibly can. I know that many who do not look like us and come from the areas we have come from may have a hard time relating or understanding some of the differences or perspectives and opinions that we have, or just understanding the gravity or difficulty of the situation. I did not come from a whole lot growing up, and many of the players who I interact with who have the same color of skin as me have very similar experiences growing up. So, really letting them know that it is still possible is something I try to do as often as possible. I try to relate, and I definitely use it as an opportunity to connect with the players. I think it is a good thing that they see others that look like them and that have experienced similar things. It can only motivate them and keep them going.
As a coach, I value it and it makes me feel alive. I think as coaches our jobs are to guide and allow the environment that the players are in to provide feedback to us so that we can develop strategies to help these players ultimately become impactful Major Leaguers. And if their careers do not last as long as they would like to, they can move on and feel as if they had a pretty fair shake during their time. So, I just do the best that I can to emphasize empathy and I do connect with them often.
Q: Who are some of the Negro League players that you know and want to learn more about whose stories resonate with you?
A: I think there is a lot, and I do know a little bit of history but we all can continue to do more to be more knowledgeable. Before I get to any of the state siders, I think as a boy, Elrod Hendricks Sr., who our Little League was named after, he was the first person I thought about. He was one of the very first US Virgin Islanders to make it to the major leagues and have a really long tenured coaching career as a bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles. He actually caught one of Jim Palmer’s no-hitters when he was one of the dominating pitchers of his generation.
Secondarily, I think beyond Jackie Robinson, who obviously has an extensive impact on the game of baseball, Curt Flood comes to mind. Cool Papa Bell is another one, and I actually had the chance to coach one of his grandsons, Austin Bell, when I worked at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Hearing some of the stories from him about his grandfather was really cool. Another player is Satchel Paige, who is someone who you hear stories about but someone who really didn’t get the full credit he probably deserved as the elite pitcher that he was for as long as he did.
I’ve had a chance to go to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, and it is a special experience that I recommend to anyone to check out because it is a really unique and cool experience.
Q: From the time you have gotten into baseball until now, what are some ways that you have seen the game grow to become more diverse, and is there something you would advocate for in the game of baseball today to help the game grow in its diversity?
A: So, I think seeing more representation would be beneficial. Not just on the field, but to let players and prospects of the future see that there can be opportunities outside of the playing field I think is extremely valuable, such as coaching and front office positions. If we can continue to encourage and provide opportunities for African Americans, both women and men, to be in those leadership positions and have a seat at the table is only going to be valuable for the continued growth of the game.
As it relates to playing, we know that there are some limitations right now with roster sizes, and we know that the game of baseball has gotten increasingly expensive. I think Major League Baseball is doing a decent job of getting out into the communities and providing camps, equipment, and resources through initiatives that are looking to try and drive engagement in the African American and Latin communities. There is more to be done, but I definitely think more representation across the entire ecosystem would be beneficial for the entire industry.
I have had a chance to speak with Dusty Baker, who obviously the resume speaks for itself. When you think of black managers in the game, there have not been many, and I do not know what those reasons are. But, it would be awesome for there to be more black candidates at the forefront and to get the opportunity to at least interview for jobs and potentially lead a Major League organization. For me, I am still young in my career, but it is something that I aspire to hopefully have the opportunity to do one day. Even being a Bench Coach or a Major League Hitting Coach, those are positions that are really relevant at the highest of levels and it would be a good thing to get more qualified individuals the opportunity to be seen. It was incredible and very inspirational for me to have that conversation with Dusty last year.
Stay tuned to the Around the Curve Blog throughout the month of February as we celebrate Black History Month by highlighting more recent members of the Curve and their accomplishments.
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