Carl Crawford making good on upside

Carl Crawford’s hard work has paid off big for the Dodgers so far this year. by Owen Main

I hate to be the “I told you so” guy.

Wait, no I don’t. It’s one of my favorite things.

During the beginning of the year, when the focus has been on the raw talent of a minor league outfielder or the struggles of a team leader, Carl Crawford has quietly had a really good start.

Going into today’s game, during which he was the only Dodger to get past first base (Crawford hit two solo home runs and the Dodgers won 2-0), Crawford’s line was .298/.385/.452. Not bad for a guy who Dodger fans thought they were “saddled” with after last year’s monster trade that included Adrian Gonzalez, Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto. Instead of being just a salary albatross, Crawford has gone about his business, worked hard, and gotten his arm and body back in shape. It seems a change of scenery can be a really good thing.

I lived in Florida for two years at the beginning of Crawford’s career. He was one of the most dynamic and electrifying players I had ever seen — especially on the artificial surface of Tropicana Field. His nickname, according to Baseball-Reference.com, is “The Perfect Storm,” alluding to his ability to cover ground in the outfield, his speed on the bases, and the pop in his bat. Crawford was a fan favorite in Tampa Bay and I told people that I thought he, not Josh Beckett, could be the part of the trade that made the Dodgers’ deal last year really look good in retrospect.

Today is April 28, so I don’t want to get too excited. We are only 24 games into a 162 game season, so I’m all for more perspective before being too excited. But if things keep up for Crawford, Dodger fans will be talking more about how their team fleeced two superstars from Boston in a once-in-a-generation trade. For the Dodgers, it really could be a perfect storm.