Carl Crawford Felt Pressured to Play by Boston Fans

Carl Crawford, who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August, said that he regrets waiting until July to have Tommy John surgery and that he felt pressured by fans in Boston to play, even though he was hurt.  Crawford, who signed a 7 year, $142 Million contract in 2011, played just 31 games last season, often complaining of pain in his elbow.

“I tried to push it a little bit. With the Boston fans, you’ve got to try. A big deal was made about my money and stuff, so I tried to prove it and play for the team,” Crawford said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, I should have taken care of myself when the doctor told me to.”

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Crawford was sent to LA in a 9 player deal back in August. He has yet to be cleared by doctors to swing a bat or throw a ball, and likely won’t receive permission to do so until January.  The Dodgers are expecting to have him back as an everyday part of the team by mid-April or May. “It’s no secret it was a tough year in Boston,” Crawford said. “It’s one of those things I wouldn’t want any player to go through, so for me to be able to get out of that situation is definitely a relief. I won’t have to go through all the stress and stuff every day that they were putting us through.”