FIGHTING FALCON
Crawford returns for Ludlowe baseball a year and a half after injury and death of his father
FAIRFIELD — First he lost his father, then Ben Crawford nearly lost the ability to play the game that kept him going through hard times. This spring, he is finally getting the second part back.
During his freshman year at Ludlowe, Crawford’s father, Andrew, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He died at age 52 in August of 2022, just 22 months after being diagnosed.
A little more than a month before his father died, Crawford tore his hamstring while running a 60-yard dash at a summer baseball showcase.
There were moments during his nearly year-and-a-half long recovery from the injury that Crawford doubted he would ever get back on a baseball field.
“Ben threw himself into baseball after Andrew was diagnosed, but then he lost his sport and lost his dad. It was tremendously hard for him,” Ben’s mother, Amy, said.
“He was incredibly resilient through it all, but it was so hard on him. He was really interested in becoming the best version of himself he could be, whether that was as a baseball player or as a person.”
The injury and lengthy recovery wore Crawford down at times, but those close to him kept him going in his darkest days.
“There were multiple times where I was breaking down and thinking I couldn’t do it,” Crawford said. “Rehabbing can be lonely and I was lucky to have my mom, incredible coaches and teammates by my side through it all.”
A catcher by trade, Crawford was a standout from his days playing in the Fairfield American Little League program and kept shining has he earned a starting spot on the varsity his sophomore season, mostly playing first base while filling in occasionally for the senior catcher.
He was primed to become the starting
catcher his junior season before the injury.
“He is a Division-I caliber player,” Ludlowe coach Ken Geriak said. “He is that good. Great arm, hits in three spot in our lineup. It will take a while to get all the rust off, but he is good behind the plate and has an electric arm.”
Crawford showed what he could do in Ludowe’s 3-1 win over Masuk in the second game of the season Friday when he went 2for-3 with a triple, double and RBI.
The hamstring injury, bad as it was, was not the worst thing Crawford was going through with this father’s cancer prognosis.
There was, however, a silver lining. With Ben making the varsity squad as a sophomore, it meant Andrew Crawford could watch his son play varsity baseball before he died.
“That was very special,” Amy Crawford said. “Andrew always loved watching Ben play baseball and getting to see him play varsity before he passed was so meaningful for our entire family. He was so sick but so happy to be at those games.”
Following his sophomore season, Crawford tore the hamstring off of his hip bone and partially broke his hip while sprinting at a summer showcase.
He was hopeful he would be back by the start of high school baseball the following spring. However, the hamstring failed to heal and required surgery prior to his junior season, which knocked him out for the year, when he likely would have been the starting catcher and perhaps one of the better players in the FCIAC, Geriak said.
“Going into junior year he was hurt, but was voted as a captain, which is pretty high praise from your peers,” Geriak said. “I felt horrible for him because of everything he had been through. He wasn’t even playing. but he was at practice every day and helping in any way he could. He is a natural leader and was like an extra coach last year.”
Crawford went to physical therapy four days a week in Orange while participating in limited baseball workouts. When he was forced off his feet, Crawford said he taught himself to juggle to keep his hand-eye coordination sharp.
Yet, Crawford said he only got through the ordeal because of the support of his family, friends and teammates.
“My mom drove me to PT and helped me stay positive the entire time,” he said. “The other captains were great, but everyone was so supportive of me through the whole thing. My teammates here and at Rage (his summer travel team) and my coaches have been amazing.”
Amy Crawford said Ben heard from a lot of friends, teammates and coaches, but noted that Geriak and Ludlowe assistant coach Shawn Sailer were particularly mindful of texting and calling to check in on him, even when it wasn’t baseball season.
Ultimately, Crawford was cleared to practice midway through his junior year and then to play just before the CIAC Class LL tournament began.
Facing Hamden in the first round, Geriak called upon Crawford to pinch hit with the bases loaded. He responded with a bases-clearing double and hobbled into second base before being lifted for a pinch runner.
It turned out to be his only plate appearance of the season as Ludlowe lost to Hamden, 4-3. But, according to his mother, it was a cathartic moment. She said many of the Ludlowe parents in the stands were in tears as Ben came off the field.
“It was the greatest moment of my life,” Crawford said. “First and only at bat of my junior year. It was an incredible moment for me.”
Crawford’s comeback journey was far from over. His hamstring injury continued to trouble him while playing for the CT Rage last summer. Though he was able to resume catching in July, Crawford just could not run at full speed.
Doctors discussed another surgery, which would have cost him his last season to play high school baseball.
Crawford said he was devastated by the lack of progress, but by late fall he was starting to feel better. Eventually, he was able to run without discomfort, much to his and his coaches’ delight.
He continue to progress through winter workouts and talk of surgery disappeared. He started at catcher in Ludlowe’s season-opening, 4-3 victory over Lyman Hall Saturday.
Crawford is committed to play at Dickinson College, despite missing so much valuable time on the field.
He felt so much better that he was able to get back to skiing, his other passion, this winter as a member of the Ludlowe/ Warde co-op ski team where he was named named CISL All-State and won the FCIAC Winter Scholar Athlete Award.
He is one of 12 seniors on Ludlowe hoping to make a run in the FCIAC and Class LL tournaments and he said that would be a perfect ending to his time as a Falcon.
For now, he is grateful for every day he gets to spend on the field.