Crawford Making Most Of May After Slow Start
BOSTON (CBS) -Amazing the difference from April to May for some players.
Carl Crawford is the best example.
In Spring Training you could tell how much this guy wanted to make an impression on his new teammates and their fans. He was as nice a guy as they come. He did interview after interview.
You could also see how much he wanted to prove he was worth the $142-million deal he agreed to with the Red Sox last December.
Read: Red Sox Beat Tigers 14-1 For 11th Win In 13 Games
All that seemed to put an extraordinary amount of pressure starting with Opening Day.
The results? An abysmal April.
Crawford went just 15-for-97 for a .155 batting average. He scored just 6 runs, with only 4 doubles, 0 triples, 1 HR, 6 RBI, with only 5 walks and 17 strikeouts. His OBP was just .204 while his slugging percentage was .227.
I wrote this the day it happened and how huge it could be for a guy like Crawford... the calendar flipping from April to May... and man, has he taken off.
On May 1st, Crawford went 2-for-4 in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. One of those two hits was the game-winner. Crawford seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief and told the media he was hoping to use the walk-off as a springboard.
Boy, was he ever right!
Following back-to-back 4 hit games, Crawford is hitting .340 in the month of May. He has 32 hits, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 13 RBI, and an OBP of .361.
Read: Dan Roche's Sports Blog
The belief that players always rise to their career numbers is once again coming true.
It's a pleasure to watch him hit. In Thursday's 14-1 romp at Detroit Crawford had two triples and four hits overall. The most impressive thing about it? He hit the ball in different directions. Shoot the gap to right-center for triples and then hit a single the opponents way.
And, the best part of Crawford? He's only just begun to hit. He is a special player. It should be fun watching him the rest of the way.
