TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Crawford Is Anticipating Smooth Sailing For Rays

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC LANCASTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

Updated: 02/19/2008 11:22 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - Carl Crawford didn't name any names Tuesday morning, but his message came through clearly between the lines.

"I'm real excited this year," Crawford said. "I just feel like it's going to be a little more peaceful this year, more at ease. Not so much crazy stuff. I just get the feeling everybody's going to want to just come out and play good baseball this year."

No specific mention was made of departed outfielder Elijah Dukes, whose off-field troubles became a significant distraction in the clubhouse as last year unfolded. Nor did Crawford refer to Delmon Young by name, though he acknowledged being "surprised" by the trade that sent the outfielder to Minnesota for Matt Garza.

But on his first day at Rays camp, the two-time All-Star expressed relief that some of the extraneous drama that has hovered around the team in recent years appears to have dissipated and "things just seem a little smoother right now."

That's just how Crawford likes it. During the winter, he had a professional-quality gym built in his Scottsdale, Ariz., home, in part because he wanted to be able to work out through the offseason with a minimal amount of hassle.

"That's where I'm at most of the time," he said of his addition, which includes a pitching machine for batting practice and various weights and workout equipment. "It's good that I don't have to leave my house."

Between his at-home regimen and his normal stint at the Athletes Performance Institute in Scottsdale, Crawford said he was able to keep his body in shape throughout the offseason. After a groin strain sidelined him for the final two weeks of last season, he said strengthening his legs would be his top priority over the winter, and he followed through on that.

He also took a step toward improving his all-around health by embracing, if somewhat reluctantly, a new diet. His favorite vice, Taco Bell, is out, and he's trying to avoid late-night meals.

"I started doing something differently with the eating plan, and it turned out I actually had more energy, so I think I'm going to stick with that for right now," Crawford said. "Last year, I was feeling a little bit sluggish at times and didn't know why. When I started doing the diet for like a month, I started to realize that I was finishing workouts with a lot of energy and ready for the next day, upbeat, stuff like that. It really affects how you feel throughout the day once you get older - that's the only reason I'm doing something different now."

Of course, Crawford is also hoping for different results on the field this year. Asked about teammate Scott Kazmir's prediction that the Rays might be ready to play in the postseason, Crawford smiled.

"We should be thinking like that," he said. "We know we're a long way from October; we've got to try to get to .500 one time at least first. But these guys, everybody's young and excited, so of course everybody's going to think we can do the impossible. When you're young and you feel invincible, you feel like you can do anything. That's the feeling you should have, but we're focused on just trying to get to .500 right now."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT