Carl Crawford blames "YOU" for his failures in Boston
Listening to Carl Crawford discuss his time in Boston is like listening to a bad joke the annoying guy in the office continues to tell even though you’ve asked him to stop, repeatedly. Crawford’s attempt to deflect, a lot like Bobby Valentine, his awful performance in Boston by blaming everyone but himself is just plain pitiful. It came as no surprise when the former Red Sox outfielder put the Boston media on blast by vaguely insinuating the media sabotaged his time in Beantown. Here’s what Crawford had to say about Boston’s media to CBSSport.com’s Danny Knobler.
“That smile turned upside down quick,” Crawford said. “I think they want to see that in Boston. They love it when you’re miserable. Burying people in the media, they think that makes a person play better. That media was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
“Burying people in the media, they think that makes a person play better. That media was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
“I took so much of a beating in Boston, I don’t think anything could bother me anymore,” he said. “They can say what they want — that I’m the worst free agent ever — and it won’t get to me. But it bothered me the whole time there.
“Look how they treat (John) Lackey. Adrian (Gonzalez) hit 30 home runs [actually 27], and they talked about him not hitting home runs.”
Let me break this down for everyone: The Red Sox signed Crawford in 2010 for 7-years and $142-million, and in two years you totaled 88 runs, 162 hits, 75 RBI, 14 home runs, 23 stolen bases and a .260 batting average. Hardly the statistical juggernaut we thought they signed in 2010 and the media had a right to hold him accountable for those numbers.
If we were to take Crawford's two worst statistical years (2002, 2008) in Tampa Bay and add them together these are the totals: 92 runs, 188 hits, 87 RBI, 10 home runs, 34 stolen bases and a .266 batting average. Naturally the pro-Crawford crowd would run immediately to the injury defense but Crawford played only 11 more games combined when comparing the 2002/2008 and 2011/2012 seasons.
In reality Crawford's time in Boston will always be a black eye on his career and the 2012 Red Sox season, but when he's honest with himself the blame always falls down instead of outward.
“I get it, I didn’t perform. I got the money. I didn’t perform. I gave them every reason.”
Just a word of advice Carl, when discussing your time with the Red Sox start off with that statement (above) instead of waiting till the end. It could save you a lot "trouble" with the Boston media, just sayin'
Follow Scott Levesque on Twitter at @scottlevesque.
