Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Crowder served almost three years in the army in World War I, including assignments in the Philippines and 11 months with the American Expeditionary Force in Siberia. However, he never reached the rank of "General." His nickname, "General" Crowder, came from General Enoch Crowder, who designed the World War I draft lottery in the United States.\n', '

Crowder learned to play baseball when he was a private in the Army. He had been shipped from Siberia to the Philippines and back again before a Pacific Coast League scout offered him a job.\n', '

Although he signed his first baseball contract in 1920, he did not play a full season until 1923 with the Winston-Salem Twins. He did not play in his first major league game until he was 27 in 1926. He won only 7 games in each of his first two seasons, but finished the 1928 season with a record of 21–5 for the Browns. His .808 win percentage was the best in the American League, and his 21 wins was 4th best in the league.\n', '

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