| Games 1026, AVE .307, OBP .347, SLG .529, OPS .876, H 932, 2B 186, 3B 50, HR 129, RBI 496, SB 177 |
| Notes: Frank Pruitt was an outfield prospect, viewed as a raw player with good upside, and the Corpus Christi Crusaders saw his potential and took a chance on the 23-year-old out of Baltimore, Maryland. He did not do well his first two years with the Crusaders, as it took time to get used to his new home, 1,600 miles from Baltimore. His manager never gave up hope though, and his third year came and Frank Pruitt arrived. He slashed .351/.383/.614, mashed 25 home runs, with 28 doubles and 5 triples to go along with 71 RBIs, a .997 OPS, and 27 swiped bags. He also maintained a perfect fielding percentage, showing a defensive ability nobody saw coming into the draft. He was a deadly offensive weapon for the Crusaders for the next six years, hitting double-digit homers, stealing double-digit bases, and going over .800 OPS each of those six seasons. He also went over .300 in batting average in '06,'09, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Frank also eclipsed a .900 OPS in '06, 2011, and 2012. He, unfortunately, did not sign a new contract with the Crusaders to begin the 2013 season and decided to go to the St. Petersburg Cardinals for two years, in which his decline was evident. He retired in 2014. In 2020, Frank came to Corpus Christi Park for an incredible retirement ceremony, and in front of a packed house of 30,483 die-hard fans, his number 22 was permanently engraved under the press box and retired. And on that day, Frank was able to proudly witness his nephew, Rich Pruitt, have his unbelievably massive breakout game, going 5 for 5 with 7 RBIs and hitting for the cycle in a 15-0 rout of the division rival Grapevines. After the game, Frank and Rich stood on the podium at home plate and gave an incredible speech, where Rich tearfully dedicated his phenomenal performance to Frank, his late father, and Frank's brother, Dick. Dick was a legendary hitting coach for the Crusaders who passed away from lung cancer a month before Frank's retirement ceremony. Rich went on to play for twelve years with the Crusaders, joining a lineage of Pruitt baseball stars here in Corpus Christi Texas. Frank slashed a career .307/.347/.529 in gold and blue, and his career .307 BA leads all-time in franchise records. He is also 14th in career triples, 16th in career OBP, 3rd in career slugging, and 10th in career stolen bases. Frank is a Crusaders legend and will live forever in the hearts of Crusaders fans. |
#22 - Frank Pruitt [ID #35059] OF