In Game 2 and Game 4 of the ALDS in October, Carl Crawford received cheers from the Rays faithful. It was an appreciation for his service as a Ray. They knew he had played his last game at Tropicana Field. The Rays never made an effort to re-sign him, so they understood if Crawford left.
Crawford should soak all of that in. It’s hard to believe he will get a standing ovation when he returns to the Trop in June. After he made his decision to sign with the Red Sox, he will be booed.
The Red Sox are the last team the Rays fans wanted him to sign with.They were okay with him being an Angel or a Ranger. Anyone but the Red Sox and the Yankees.
Crawford thinks he did the Rays fans a favor by not signing with the Yankees. He doesn’t understand they hate both the Red Sox and the Yankees. They don’t like it when Red Sox fans and Yankees fans invade the Trop.
Judging by the reaction of Rays fans on Twitter and blogs today, it wasn’t pretty. Most of them think of him as a traitor and a bad guy. People wish him failure as a member of the Red Sox. They choose to forget what he did in his tenure as a Ray.
From this perspective, Crawford should be called out for being a mercenary and for taking an easy way out. Rather than play for the Angels, he is playing for a team that will buy a championship every year. It’s getting old seeing homegrown players bail out on their teams and move on to the Yankees or the Red Sox. That’s not right.
Yes, those players want to win a championship. No one is begrudging them, but they should try to be the solutions for their own team rather than jump ship. That’s the problem with professional athletes. They want to have it easy.
No fan likes seeing players leave for greener pastures. It’s one of their pet peeves in sports. This happens too often. Is it any wonder why there is no bond with fans and players? There are too many defections in baseball. It goes back to the days when Curt Flood won his rights to be a free agent.
It’s no wonder why small-market towns have low attendance in baseball. There’s no point going to games when homegrown players come and go.
It wasn’t just the fans that expressed outrage. Several members of the Rays were disappointed that Crawford decided to go to Boston. They did not like the thought of him beating the Rays often. They thought he would do the right thing and play for the Angels.
That’s fantasy, and in sports, that never happens. Elite players want to get paid and play for a championship. Going to Boston presents the best of both worlds for Crawford.
As good as the Angels are, they may have a tough time to win the division. The Rangers are still the team to beat in the AL West. Most of their players will be returning, and they have a great core of young players that can play together for the next seven years. Crawford did not want to take that risk.
It’s hard to blame him, but it would have been nice if he decided to be a difference maker for the Angels. Sports should feature great competitors not joining the other team if they can’t beat them.
Rays fans were led to believe Crawford would be a Ray. After all, he is soft-spoken. He is not the type of guy that likes to to deal with scrutiny. He never talked about what’s it like to be a big stage.
That’s the problem with assuming. Folks deal with five stages of grief. They deal with denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
For the Rays, they probably are in the acceptance stage. They knew the gang would be gone in the offseason . Rays owner Stu Sternberg mentioned that many times this season. That’s why their one-and-out postseason was hard to accept
For the fans, they have reached the anger stage now. They were in denial when rumors broke out Crawford made his decision. It won’t be long until depression comes. Acceptance should come when exhibition games start.
Fans will be into baseball, and they will worry about how the 2010 team will work out. When Crawford makes his return, then the anger will break out.
This is the same fanbase that booed several Rays this year. B.J. Upton heard it a lot whenever he struck out. The fans let Dan Wheeler have it after bad outings. Even James Shields was not immune to it.
Winning has brought people to teh games. There is interest now. Those fans watched Crawford enough to know what he meant to the team. They are not going to be happy seeing him beat their team too often.
It’s easy to rip fans, but they are emotionally attached to the team. When a player leaves to their team’s rival, it’s like a player spitting on someone’s face. There is a reason why Clevelanders are angry at James. They felt he disrespected them by making his decision on national television. They thought he took their loyalty for granted.
Now, fans should not get caught up in sports. They should view it as entertainment, but that’s easier said than done. When fans are paying money and investing their time in the team, they want players and management to appreciate them.
It’s understandable for fans to act that way, but that’s not reality. Players are out for themselves. They have their own goals, and that’s making money, winning championships and taking care of their family. Management is all about the bottom line. If fans understand that part of it, they would be better off.
It’s surprising to see Crawford receive that vitriol. Hopefully, everything settles down. The best response would be not giving him any reaction.
There’s no point booing him. It’s crazy to be mad at him. It’s one thing for Clevelanders to boo LeBron James, who had the audacity to tell them on national television he was talking his talent to South Beach. The former Ray played for the organization for 10 years. That’s a long time.
Booing the guy would be showing love. He would get the attention that he doesn’t deserve. It’s okay to root for him to fail. After all, he is playing for a rival, but there’s no reason to go this far.
It would not make the fanbase look good by booing him. Rays fans receive flack for not going to games. Why make it even worse by behaving badly towards a guy that did so much for the community?
It’s time to move on, and support the new group of guys. Let Crawford be a distant memory.
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