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Crawford Says Hamilton's Success 'Refreshing To See'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Tampa Bay LF Carl Crawford and Texas Rangers OF Josh Hamilton are forever linked in Rays history as the franchise's top two picks in the 1999 draft.

Hamilton, the No. 1 overall pick, is set to play today against the Rays for the first time since he was selected by the Cubs and traded to the Reds in the 2006 Rule 5 draft. It will be Hamilton's first game as a major-leaguer at Tropicana Field.

Crawford, the Rays' second-round pick in '99, is glad to see Hamilton, 27, excel after an offseason trade sent him to Texas. Having apparently overcome the drug and alcohol problems that cost him most of the 2002-06 seasons, Hamilton leads the majors in RBIs with 53 and is among the AL leaders in batting average at .333 and home runs with 12.

"It's refreshing to see," Crawford said. "Everybody's happy for him. Wish he was over here."

Crawford and Hamilton were minor-league teammates from 1999-01 at rookie ball Princeton, Single-A Charleston and Double-A Orlando. Injuries and the aforementioned substance-abuse problems derailed Hamilton, even as Crawford became a major-league All-Star and the face of the Rays franchise.

Still, Crawford said he's not entirely surprised Hamilton has begun to fulfill the massive potential he showed in the late '90s and early 2000s.

"I didn't never really count him out, because I knew the talent that he had," Crawford said. "I figured if he could ever get clean, if there was a person that could do it, he definitely was the one that you think could get it done, that could do it. You just always said that if he could get clean, who knows what could happen?"

KAZMIR ON A ROLL: Since a less-than-inspiring 2008 debut by LHP Scott Kazmir against the Red Sox on May 4, in which he allowed three earned runs in four innings, Kazmir's numbers have served as a reminder of just how much he was missed during the first month of the season.

After taking the loss on that cold day at Fenway Park, Kazmir has gone 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA (one earned run in 19 innings) while striking out 17 and walking seven.

His most recent outing, a 3-2 victory against the Athletics in Oakland, was the first in which he seemed to shake off the rust that gathered as he missed all of spring training and April with a strained left elbow.

"When he's throwing strikes with his fastball, this guy's really good," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "And he's still good when he's not nearly as consistent. But when he is consistent, you're going to see him in the seventh and the eighth inning, hopefully. I'm looking forward to it, because he was getting good rhythm the other day."

NOTEWORTHY: Rays CF B.J. Upton singled in the first inning and walked in the third, helping him tie the Rays record by reaching base in eight consecutive plate appearances. Six other players also have done it, most recently Ty Wigginton on July 15-17 last season. ... Tampa Bay improved to 8-3 this season against the Orioles, including five consecutive victories. ... The Rangers haven't played at Tropicana Field since August 2006. Tampa Bay swept Texas in three games at Disney last year. The Rangers lead the all-time series 57-40. ... In the second inning Saturday, Rays batters Crawford, Upton, Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria hit, in order, a single, double, triple and home run. According to Stats Inc., it was the first time in team history four consecutive Rays "hit for the cycle" in order and just the fifth time it has been done by any team since 1974.

Carter Gaddis

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