Jerry Crider - Inducted 2004

Born Sept. 2, 1941 in Sioux Falls. 1959 (Sioux Falls) Washington HS grad. Crider played 13 years of professional baseball, including two seasons in the big leagues. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-hander was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1962. He had brief stays with the Twins and Chicago White Sox in 1969 and '70, going 5-7 with a 4.51 ERA in 119 2/3 innings. His best season was with Denver in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1968, going 18-10 and tying for the most wins in the minor leagues. With Hawaii of the PCL in 1971, he led the league in earned-run average (3.29). He also played in winter leagues in Nicaragua, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Crider retired from baseball in 1974 and moved to Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, and went into the freshwater bass fishing resort business. He was a hunting (mostly doves and ducks) and fishing guide there for 17 years until retiring in 1991. He helped film over 13 programs on hunting and fishing for Bill Dance, Rowland Martin and the American Sportsman show, among others. He was instrumental in finding and naming the Goulds turkey as the fifth North American species of turkey.

Also an outstanding amateur golfer, Crider was good enough to try to qualify for the Senior Tour.

In Sioux Falls, Crider at ages 3-5 put on exhibitions in hitting a baseball at state fairs and semi-pro baseball tourneys. He pitched on three state champion American Legion teams (1957-59) and was an all-state lineman in football as a junior and senior. In 1961, Crider pitched and batted Humboldt to its only state amateur baseball title and a berth in the national tourney.