It’s been a little over a year now since the former Gaylesville and Snead State Community College pitcher was drafted by the Washington Nationals last June. He’s still trying to get back to form following hip surgery. This after battling through shoulder surgery before he was drafted.
Crane was in town for a brief visit last week, before traveling back out to the Nationals’ minor league club in Burlington, Vt., last Saturday. He said he’s “real happy to be playing again.”
“Everything’s going real well,” he said. “Everybody’s telling me I’m back to normal. I can only go as far as my ability takes me, but I’m not having any problems with my shoulder, my hip or anything now.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right hander is listed as active on the Lake Monster roster. The Class A Short Season New York-Penn League team opens its season on Friday against the Lowell Spinners.
Crane said he’s anxious to get the season started, and is hopeful of being called up to one of the Nationals’ higher class affiliates soon.
“They’re (management) still talking amongst each other as to what they’re going to do with me,” Crane said. “Everything really depends on me. I don’t know if they have a timetable.”
Crane has been following the recent call-up of the Nationals’ top pick in 2009, Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg has gone 2-0 in his first two starts since his call up to Washington, something Crane hopes he gets the opportunity to experience himself someday.
“I’ve thought about how nervous and how excited I would be,” Crane said. “I had a friend of mine (Drew Storen) who just made his debut against the (St. Louis) Cardinals. He was a first-round supplemental pick, and he was really nervous. He was a pretty dominant pitcher in the double and triple A levels, but yeah, I’ve just wondered how I’d feel if that was me.”
Crane has also followed the recent draft, including the Baltimore Orioles’ pick of former Cherokee County standout Coty Blanchard. When asked if he had any advice for Blanchard, who’s also signed a scholarship to play football and baseball at Jacksonville State University, Crane said Blanchard should “enjoy the moment.”
“The best thing I can tell him is to enjoy it while it’s here and try to take it all in,” he said. “It’s something not many people get a chance to do.”
Crane is living proof of that.
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Recent Cherokee High School graduate and Jacksonville State University freshman Jake Minnix recorded his fourth hole-in-one on June 12 on the 183-yard, par-three 8th hole at Cherokee Country Club. Witnesses were Max Chambers, Dave Hofland, and Bobby Porter.
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