SF Giants: Brandon Crawford pens emotional tribute to Buster Posey

The Giants and their fans will miss Buster Posey terribly when the new season rolls around next spring. Brandon Crawford will miss him even more.

Less than three weeks after Posey announced his retirement from baseball, Crawford penned a first-person tribute to his longtime teammate and friend, calling the star catcher “one of my best friends in the world.”

In an essay published Tuesday on “The Players Tribune,” Crawford says he’s going to be a bit lost without the man he shared three World Series championships with in San Francisco.

“It’s definitely going to be tough not having him around,” wrote Crawford, who was part of the Giants’ 2008 draft class with Posey. “It won’t be the same.”

And Crawford isn’t just talking about how much the Giants will miss Posey’s bat in the middle of the lineup, his defensive prowess or his work with the team’s pitching staff. To him, it won’t even be Posey’s star power – the seven All-Star selections, five Silver Sluggers and MVP award – that will be missed the most.

“For me, the toughest part about this is going to be not seeing my friend for 162-plus days of the year. Not having those conversations, those moments that all good friends share — the little inside jokes, the laughs, the companionship,” Crawford said. “We’ve played together for so long, been through so much together. So, over the years, all those things have become part of what playing baseball means to me.

“Even just sharing stories about our kids every day in the clubhouse — the dad stuff — as lame as it might sound, I’m really, really going to miss that.”

When Posey and Crawford were both drafted by the Giants out of college in 2008, it didn’t take long for the two to gravitate toward each other. In many ways, they were two of a kind – both understated, talented players who showed up each day with a simple goal of trying to help the Giants win a game.

Their shared love and dedication to their families helped Crawford and Posey grow into even closer friends, with their wives and children also quickly bonding. When Posey retired, he said spending more time with his wife and children was a bigger priority to him than anything he could accomplish on a baseball field. Crawford applauded Posey for that decision.

“Buster loves baseball for sure — loves the Giants, his teammates, our fans — but to be honest with you, that pales in comparison to how much he loves his family. And I truly admire and respect him for that,” Crawford said.

In wrapping up his 1,400-word tribute to Posey, Crawford had a personal message to his friend.

“Buster, if you happen to be reading this, I just want you to know that I am so proud of you, and that your friendship means the world to me.

I miss you already.”