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Carl Crawford Says He No Longer Hates Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Carl Crawford's time with the Red Sox did not go as planned, and the former All-Star outfielder was quick to discuss his frustrations about that time in the years that followed his 2012 trade to Los Angeles.

But now out of baseball, time has healed the wound that developed during his time in Boston.

"I carried hate for that city for a long time," Crawford told Bleacher Report's Scott Miller. "But now, I'm over that. I feel much better, because I learned that you can't hate something or you never get over it. It definitely was a learning experience, definitely that. I got that out of it, if nothing else."

Crawford added: "I focus on the positive all the time. Even when the negative energy comes your way, I still find a way to find positive light."

Crawford signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Red Sox prior to the 2011 season. He'd play in just 161 games between April 2011 and August 2012, batting .260 with a .711 OPS. In the previous seven seasons, he had hit .301 with an .806 OPS. He also went from averaging 50 stolen bases per year from 2003-10 to stealing just 23 bases in his two seasons with Boston.

The Red Sox traded Crawford -- along with Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto -- to L.A. in the summer of 2012, and Crawford spoke publicly numerous times about his feelings regarding his time in Boston. None of it was positive.

While he still didn't share a positive feeling, he at least said he has moved past the overwhelming negative feelings of hate.

Still, he did share some regret about his decision to sign with the Red Sox instead of the Angels more than six years ago.

"I should have listened, man," he said. "They say, 'Don't go chasing waterfalls.'"

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