The worst thing I've heard about Carl Crawford from those in baseball had to do with his performance in 2011. Other than that, by all accounts, he's a peach of a person. He proved that once again Thursday night by the way he handled a heckler that fired a racial slur his way during a minor-league rehab game in New Hampshire.
Instead of going off and blaming all of the Northeast or New Hampshire, or whatever, Crawford recognized it as a single individual.
"(One fan) actually called me a racial slur to begin the game with," Crawford told the Providence Journal after going 1 for 4 with a triple for Double-A Portland. "He was the only one I had a problem with. People in Boston don't even do that. I don't know what that was about. It's not that bad in Boston like that. But I can understand why people can be upset about me signing a contract and me having the kind of year I had. I understand. They love their team. They want you to produce when you sign a contract like that. I can't be made at them. All I can do is get ready to play this year and try to produce."
Crawford hit .255/.289/.405 with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases last season, his first in Boston after signing a seven-year, $142 million contract.
Crawford hasn't played this season after undergoing arthroscopic wrist surgery in January and then suffered a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. Crawford's played in eight rehab game so far, three at Portland. His triple on Friday was his first extra-base hit in three games with the Sea Dogs. He's 4 for 10 at Portland after going 3 for 14 in the short-season Gulf Coast League.
Because he hasn't played at all this season, Crawford said he'd need something resembling a full spring training compliment of at-bats before he's ready to join the Red Sox.
"Of course I'd like to be up in the big leagues playing right now, but I don't know if that's possible," Crawford told the Journal. "Definitely, in the back of my mind, I wish I was up there playing."
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