[3] During his twenty seasons in the National League, Crawford worked more than 3,100 games and as a home plate umpire was notable for getting in a low crouch and resting his hands on the back of the catcher in front of him.

[5] He served in the United States Navy during World War II, and was on the destroyer USS Walke (DD-723) when its bridge was struck by a Japanese kamikaze on January 6, 1945, during the invasion of Luzon, in which commanding officer George Fleming Davis suffered fatal injuries and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

He was the home plate umpire when one of the most violent brawls in baseball history occurred during a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park on August 22, 1965.

[9] The Dodgers' Maury Wills led off the game with a bunt single off Giants pitcher Marichal and eventually scored a run.

[8][9] In the top of the third inning with two outs, Marichal threw a fastball that came close to hitting Ron Fairly, prompting him to dive to the ground.

[9] Marichal's act angered the Dodgers sitting in the dugout and, Crawford then warned both teams that any further retaliations would not be tolerated.

[9] A 14-minute brawl ensued on the field before Koufax, Giants captain Willie Mays and other peacemakers restored order.