Boston Red Sox see signs of Carl Crawford’s return to form
If the Boston Red Sox needed their players to do more on the batting plate on April 23, 2011, Carl Crawford did just that. The premier outfielder was heading into the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim, with a batting average of just .154.
After four At-Bats, that average changed to .171. Though the increase may seem small, the contribution was not. The strong hitter has hit 14 times out of 82 chances. It was nothing less than a surprise to see the new member of the club get four hits from
his last two games.
The player smashed a strong home run in the sixth against the Angels in the sixth inning to put the Boston Red Sox six runs in the lead. His power hit allowed two runs as David Ortiz was able to run home without any trouble.
What was more memorable was the celebration in the Boston dugout. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez talked about the excitement. "Oh, everybody loved it", said Gonzalez. "All those things are great. He's had some really good at-bats in Anaheim. We know it's
just a matter of time. He's going to end up hitting .300 just like he does every year".
With a bad start to the season, Crawford had nothing but words of praise for the clubhouse that has gone with him since Opening Day. "It's been a battle for him", said hitting coach, Dave Magadan.
"The one thing he's going to do - he's going to work. We started to see some progress, his at-bats in Oakland we're better. He brought that positive attitude right away into this series. He didn't get rewarded right away with some hits, but for him to get
a couple of two-hit games in a row, it's going in the right direction".
The outfielder has a weak slugging percentage and a bad hitting average too. However, things will come through as the season continues.
Second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, was also able to comment on Crawford. He called him a dynamic player and stated that the outfielder does everything on the field. In the end he maintained that the former Tampa Bay Rays player will be much needed by the Boston
club to accomplish its goals.
Tags: