Carl Crawford needs to stop complaining about his time with the Boston Red Sox. At the end of the day, he was a horrible fit with the team. Injuries made life more difficult than it had to be, but Crawford plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers now. Until he succeeds with his new team, blaming the Boston media for his struggles on the east coast is pointless.
However, Crawford continues to talk about how unbearable life on Yawkey Way was for him. On Thursday morning, he told CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler that he was a bad fit with the Red Sox from day one.
“I think that’s the truth,” Crawford said. “It just wasn’t the right place for me at the end of my day. I didn’t do my homework. Maybe they didn’t, either. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t the place for me.”
Crawford took the blame for his poor on-field performance while with the Red Sox, but he once again essentially scolded the media for being a bunch of meanies. A few weeks ago, the former Tampa Bay Ray described the environment in boston as “toxic.”
“That smile turned upside down quick,” he said of his excitement when he signed with the Red Sox. “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.”
If a few bad articles and tough questions from reporters were the worst things Crawford has ever experienced in his life, he has been incredibly fortunate. While there is no denying that playing in a city like Boston is more difficult than a place like Tampa Bay or even LA, there are a few things Crawford seems to have lost sight of.
For starters, plenty of players have signed with the Red Sox and enjoyed success. The way he makes it sound, you would swear it is impossible to succeed in Boston. Guys like Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and Curt Schilling would disagree. Despite Crawford’s desire to blame the media for the short marriage he endured in Boston, he has no one to blame but himself. It wasn’t exactly a secret that the Boston media is ruthless prior to 2011.
Judging by the sweat that was pouring from his forehead the day the Red Sox introduced him, Crawford was feeling the pressure instantly. He recently suffered a setback in his Tommy John rehab and could miss the season opener with the Dodgers. If Crawford returns to his Tampa Bay form with the Dodgers, the fans will love him. If he doesn’t, the reaction may not be as negative as it was in Boston. That doesn’t mean the love in LA will be unconditional, either.
Let the past be the past. The whining is getting old.
Photo credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
