Carl Crawford: Raring To Run

TAMPA - Rays left fielder Carl Crawford knew from the start last season that things weren't right. He had never felt pain like that. It affected his speed and robbed his power.

"I was hurting bad from the first day of spring training. I never had to go through anything like that," he said. "I don't think a lot of people realize what I went through because I didn't talk about it, but last year was the worst."

He had a bad ankle. His hamstring throbbed. A finger injury cost him seven weeks down the stretch, and he returned just in time for the playoffs. Even then, Manager Joe Maddon dropped him to the middle of the lineup because Crawford couldn't use his speed to the max.

That was then.

But as Crawford spoke Thursday afternoon in the visiting clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field, it was with clear relief. He can run and cut again. He can swing normally and beat out infield grounders. He can chase down fly balls in the gap.

"He is really, really motivated - very directed," Maddon said. "... He has been an absolute joy and he looks like he's in great shape."

There can't be much better early spring news for the Rays than that. Having a healthy Crawford again ripples throughout the entire lineup. He'll be back in his familiar No. 2 spot in the batting order, and he is ready again to use his legs.

"I don't think they thought I'd come back this year ready to run," he said.

After he came out of the Rays' exhibition game here against the Yankees, Crawford ran sprints on a side field. He went full out, no holding back. He couldn't do that last year.

"The worst part physically was my ankle. I just wasn't explosive from the left side when I pushed off out of the batter's box or got the jump on balls. Pain would go through my ankle there that would make me want to stop right at that moment," he said.

"And the pain when I was hitting - that's why you saw my batting stance was so awkward all year. I was trying to find a comfortable spot where I could still push off, but it just never came around."

He hit just .273 after being over .300 the previous three seasons. He didn't run nearly as much; he had only 25 stolen bases after swiping more than 50 four of the previous five years. You could tell something was wrong, but the Rays were winning and everyone assumed he was just in a slump and would snap out of it eventually.

Crawford never corrected that misconception.

"I didn't want to bring the team down and dampen the mood, so I just tried to go with the flow and fight through it," he said. "It was the worst year I've ever had as far as injuries. Most guys probably would have sat out, but I tried to play through it. I learned my lesson from that."

Fortunately, that's not an issue now. Crawford, sweating and content from his afternoon's labor, looked up from his chair and smiled.

"I feel like an athlete again," he said, "instead of a slug."