A Tampa Bay "Thank You" To Carl Crawford

The people who run and write the blog entitled DRaysBay all pooled some resources and took out a full-page ad in the Tampa Bay Times, thanking Carl Crawford in a very special way. I want you to read the ad itself. Here it is...
____________________________________

"The Tampa Bay franchise has undergone a lot of change in the past nine years: new name, new uniforms, new managers, and new ownership. The one constant in all of that change has been Carl Crawford.
Our franchise leader in hits, batting average, stolen bases, doubles, triples, runs scored, breath-taking defensive plays, and more, Crawford has become one of Tampa Bay’s most beloved sports figures It’s rare for any player to spend nine years of their career in one city, let alone the best left fielder in all of baseball.
The team is still strong and will stay competitive, but we should consider ourselves lucky to have seen Crawford play. Good luck in the rest of your career, Carl – you’ve earned it."
____________________________________

What a cool thing to do. Let's hope CC can re-invent his Fenway Park offensive numbers and pick them up a little. In the small left field territory, he'll be fine but I envision him playing the overly spacious right field, Dewey's Domain, before his contract is up. I know JD Drew's out there but he won't be in three to five years. Crawford has the speed and the wheels to cover all that ground in right and he could easily catch a ball that winds around the Pesky Pole if it lands within reach. But he must make an adjustment in his batting stance and try to powerfully punch the ball to the Wall (not ALL the time) even though he is a strict pull hitter. Remember, he's a lefty but he can do it. He will probably, at least in MY lineup, bat second behind Ellsbury and ahead of the much missed Dustin Pedey Pedroia. And then come the power guys. Yes, this team will score a ton of runs. We need Josh Beckett to BE Josh Beckett, not the imitation we've sometimes seen lately. Faith. That's all. And fun.

Think about the late inning trio the Boston Red Sox have assembled. They are Bobby Jenks, Danny Bard and their closer for now AND later, Jonathon Papelbon. That's a nice back end of a 'pen. That's not all the Sox have. The middle relief corps looks better and better every ensuing week. Great job by Theo. So 2011, HERE WE COME.

Hey, thanks for stopping in, have a great weekend and please click on this post's title for more Sox news. As always, BE WELL and be careful out there. I'll be back with the latest at the very earliest. Every day I can.