Carl Crawford Apologizes To Red Sox Fans

With the American League wild card race hurtling toward the finish line and the Red Sox in the midst of a major September free fall, Boston fans received something they probably didn't want to hear -- an apology from the struggling Carl Crawford.

In the last of a series of blog posts for ESPN Boston, Crawford admitted that he was sorry for the year he has had. Or, to be more precise, he is sorry for the year that he hasn't had.

"I want to end the diary saying something to the fans of Boston. I just want to say I'm sorry for the year I've had," he wrote. "You guys have been really supportive and I appreciate that. Hopefully when we get into these playoffs, I can be the real Carl Crawford that I know I am. We'll see."

After signing an enormous $142 million free-agent deal with the Sox before the season, the 30-year-old Crawford has 29 fewer stolen bases than last year and sports a paltry .255 batting average. As David Brown of Big League Stew pointed out while exploring Crawford's struggles, his .292 on-base percentage and .402 slugging ranks among the worst in the junior circuit.

To add insult to injury, the team that Crawford left is the one chasing down Boston. The Sox just dropped three of four at Fenway Park against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"If Tampa makes a miracle comeback and takes the wild card from us, I will be devastated," said Crawford. "I definitely wouldn't want to lose to those guys and watch them get into the playoffs while we go home. That would just be devastating to me."

Crawford's struggles stretch back to the start of the season. In late April, the four-time All-Star was moved down to the seventh spot in the lineup during a bad slump, which he himself described as the worst stretch he has ever had.

Boston's wild card lead was cut to two over the weekend. They have another four-game series at home against the Baltimore Orioles starting Monday afternoon. Then they travel to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees and they finish the season with three more games at Baltimore.

Comments

[zupamum]

11:37 AM on 09/20/2011

Mark my words: The Red Sox will come out strong for the last 10 games and WIN! GO SOX, you can do it!

[PaulMuaddib]

03:46 PM on 09/19/2011

Thanks Carl but there's still 10 games left, prove it to me now!

[elsquibbs]

03:19 PM on 09/19/2011

The Red Sox are in the process of making history in a bad, bad way.

[chiodo08]

02:49 PM on 09/19/2011

couldn't have happened to a bigger poseur....enjoy your millions "closet red sox fan"

[Rahm11219]

12:44 PM on 09/19/2011

When is Theo going to apologize for making such a horrible mistake?

[chiodo08]

02:52 PM on 09/19/2011

it wasn't a mistake...Carl was on his way to Anaheim when Theo and the Red Sox went completely against what they do well in sabermetrics and gave this guy an offer he couldn't refuse LAST MINUTE....just to get in the heads of their BIGGEST nemesis Tampa Bay Rays....I am convinced that's why that went after him...it was a waste of everything Carl does well...use his speed. Really? you need speed in that park on the left side in front of that wall?....come on who are you fooling...you have plenty of base stealers and could have spent that money wiser...
The Red Sox went Yankee and spent and bought "because they can"...

[Rahm11219]

09:36 AM on 09/20/2011

Very well said. It's too bad.

[Nic the wonder puppy]

11:41 AM on 09/19/2011

I'm only a dog. To the Red Sox. Just relax

[Mitch Speck]

11:34 AM on 09/19/2011

Hey Adam Dunn...Are you listening??? Where is your apology?

[Spartan112]

10:53 AM on 09/19/2011

20mil a year was way too much for this guy. He will produce during the contract but considering his on base numbers and his susceptibility to the low outside pitch? Bad signing at the money paid.

[Barry McCociner]

10:35 AM on 09/19/2011

CC is a class act and we miss him dearly in Tampa both on the field and off. Yes, his struggles have been painful to watch (as a true fan of the game) and while I am hoping the Rays can pull off the impossible (especially after losing their top 6 salaried players from last year) I am sure if Bosox make it, he will come through as he has in the past. Long before the Rays were competitive CC was there and productive and more importantly, NEVER once complained to the media even before he was being paid accordingly. Hang in there Sox fans, CC will become the player Theo paid handsomely for and more importantly, he will always be a class act in the community.

[chiodo08]

02:56 PM on 09/19/2011

not really?...did you see his press conference during the signing..."my heart was always in Boston"...and " now my son can pull out his red sox gear....when he was here..he "wouldn't play center"..."wouldn't move around the order"...he was as quietly demanding and had ZERO leadership considering he was the patriarch of this very young team...sorry let Boston try to teach him hooked on phonics...we did all we could
I have NO LOVE for that guy he could have made nearly as much money in Anaheim in a park that suited his talents...he went for the cash...period

[Barry McCociner]

08:40 PM on 09/21/2011

I agree to disagree. How is that disrespectful? Is he supposed to sign with Boston and say "I still love TB"...watching him up close both on the field and in press conferences for years, you could not be more wrong. Where and why he choose to play in Boston means nothing to me, how does that affect your life in any way? You are the only person in the baseball community with such feelings, ask any of the Tampa beat reporters, any of the rays stadium staff, any of the local radio flunkies, you could not be more wrong, even the parking guys. In a world of prima donna unapproachable players, how you can have such an axe to grind with one of the nicest guys in MLB is beyond me.

[pleasantlyny]

10:29 AM on 09/19/2011

Boston will win due to them getting lucky and having two series vs. baltimore.

[independent32955-2]

11:39 AM on 09/19/2011

a lot of people are saying that about the orioles that has a tendency to piss off the team with nothing to win or lose like baltimore. and being a spoiler at year's end is more important for morale then getting in the playoffs, which is all NY cares about right now.

[Winthorpe]

01:55 PM on 09/19/2011

I'm pretty sure everyone in the division plays every other team the same number of times.

[cameron d]

09:37 AM on 09/19/2011

I'd rather him apologize for refusing to be a lead off guy after he signed the deal.

[Spartan112]

10:51 AM on 09/19/2011

Did he refuse? I didn't hear that. What I see is a guy that doesn't have a natural slot in this lineup. He's never walked a lot so Ellsbury is a much better leadoff option. You don't move one of the best #2 hitters in the game in Pedroia (besides 3 lefties at the top of the card?), he doesn't hit 3rd on this team with AGon around...4th over Youk? 5th over Papi?

142mil was a reaction to Werth signing and honestly, if Ells hadn't had a horrible year last year I'm not sure it happens.

[cameron d]

11:14 AM on 09/19/2011

I've heard ESPN podcasts with Bill Simmons and Keith Law where they were saying he said he didn't bat lead off after signing the deal.

[chiodo08]

03:00 PM on 09/19/2011

he did in Tampa along with refusing to play center...FACT...I thought he was okay with it in Boston...I didn't know that.

[JustinP213]

09:31 AM on 09/19/2011

As a Yanks fan, I think that no apology is needed, ha. I'm glad the Red Sox are not doing well.

[Spartan112]

10:48 AM on 09/19/2011

Funny though, as bad as the sox have been how little distance the yanks have put between the two teams...do us a favor and beat up on TB this week though.

[JustinP213]

11:42 AM on 09/19/2011

Eh, I rather the Yanks play TB in the ALCS than the Sox.