What Happened to Carl Crawford?
What Happened to Carl Crawford?
By Edcel Panganiban July 29, 2024 09:11
Carl Demonte Crawford was born in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 5, 1981. Crawford started playing sports in the heart of Fifth Ward, just a few minutes from where Minute Maid Park would be built, and he quickly began to show promising athletic ability.
Crawford was taken straight out of Davis High School Houston in '99 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He debuted as a pro in 2002 at the age of 20 and had an immediate impact. He hit 283 with six home runs, 31 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases as a rookie.
Collapse years with the Tampa Bay Rays
In the coming years, Crawford emerged as one of the best inside-the-park hitters in recent memory. He was an All-Star for the American League in 2004, 2007, and 2010, and led MLB in stolen bases twice with Tampa Bay. He won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in 2010, proving himself to be one of the most complete players in baseball.
With speed, power, and defense on his resume, Crawford was once a Tampa Bay fan favorite. He holds several franchise records with the Rays, such as most hits (1.480), runs (853), triples (105), and stolen bases 409.
The Boston Red Sox Experiment
Crawford played nine seasons with the Rays before signing a seven-year, $142 million deal with Boston in 2011. The deal was widely hailed as a big catch for the Red Sox, who were looking to upgrade their offense and outfield defense.
Unfortunately, Crawford spent most of his time in Boston, hurt. Eventually, he had difficulty handling the demands of being a Boston player, resulting in his numbers slipping into oblivion.
The next season, Crawford's troubles continued. He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow limited him to just 31 games. His health and play on the field frustrated Red Sox front office members, who also took issue with Crawford's conflict-riddled relationship with a fan base that may have unwittingly driven him away from Tampa.
Acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers
In August 2012, the Dodgers landed a major deal with the Red Sox to trade in Crawford, who was also traded alongside Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and Nick Punto. It was a salary dump trade for the Red Sox to eliminate Crawford and Beckett's hand-cuffing contracts. At the same time, the Dodgers were desperate enough financially to take on the risk, hoping to rejuvenate Crawford's career.
The change of scenery helped Crawford initially, as he got off to a good start for the Dodgers in 2013 with a 293 average, but he had back injuries from the start and often hobbled during his time in Los Angeles.
The Decline and Retirement
There were flashes of his former brilliance, but Crawford's career continued to spiral downward in the final years. He battled through the nagging injuries, including a torn oblique muscle in 2015 that took many months to heal fully. He was reduced to a reserve outfielder and right-handed bat off the bench by 2016.
Crawford said in a 2017 interview that he had turned down attempts to sign him as a free agent by other MLB teams after being released by the Dodgers and intended to retire when his last contract ended. So, at 35 years old, with over $30 million more still coming his way at the end of his contract, Crawford left.
Life After Baseball
Crawford has kept a low profile since retiring from professional baseball. In an interview in 2017, he spoke of his wish to spend more time with his family and explore other interests beyond the field.
Although his career may not have ended in the ideal manner for Crawford, he remains forever alive as one of the best and certainly the few truly electrifying players from any era. His speed, strength, and willingness to bring the wood made him a fan favorite. Regardless of what came later, Carl Crawford will always be remembered as a rare player who captured the imagination with electrifying play.
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