Giambino
04-16-2007, 07:54 PM
The center of scrutiny: As Coco’s struggles continue, blame game should be pointed at Sox
By Tony Massarotti (tmassarotti@bostonherald.com)
Boston Herald Sports Columnist
Monday, April 16, 2007 - Updated: 04:33 AM EST
The season is still young, but time is starting to catch up with Coco Crisp (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Coco+Crisp&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/players.aspx?id=6439,pos=CF,team=028)]. And soon, unless things change, we must all ask the obvious question:
What, exactly, did the Red Sox (http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox.bg) [team stats (http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/teamstats.aspx?team=028)] see in this guy?
The Sox and Los Angeles Angels were rained out at Fenway Park (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Fenway+Park&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) [map (http://news.bostonherald.com/maps/?data=fenwayPark)] yesterday, which was probably just as well for the former’s struggling center fielder. Crisp is batting a mere .111 with nine strikeouts and just four hits in 36 at-bats this season, and manager Terry Francona (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Terry+Francona&mode=all) had Wily Mo Pena (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Wily+Mo+Pena&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) scheduled to start in center against Angels starter Ervin Santana.
Before this is viewed as some type of indictment on Crisp, who is clearly a better player than he has shown, let’s remember that he had no choice in coming to Boston. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Theo+Epstein&searchSite=recent) completed a trade for him shortly after returning to power in January 2006, and the idea was that Crisp would assume Johnny Damon’s place atop the lineup.
The fact that Crisp has not - he’s currently batting eighth - is far more a reflection on the Red Sox than on him.
Admittedly, evaluating Crisp as a player remains a tricky task. He started last season like a house of fire but broke his finger before the club even played a home game. He missed most of the first two months, finished with a .264 average and had virtually no impact on the field, which was far more disappointing than any statistic.
So what was the problem? That all depends on perspective.
The Red Sox have said publicly that, in their assessment, Crisp was one of the best fastball hitters in the league before his injury. After it, however, club officials didn’t see the same quick hands or bat speed. The implication was that Crisp’s finger was the primary cause of his problems and that he would be better this year.
So far, he’s been worse.
Now the disturbing part: Based on his track record - and based on what we’ve seen so far - Crisp has one truly above-average asset: speed. He doesn’t hit for an exceptionally high average, he doesn’t hit for exceptional power, he doesn’t throw well and he doesn’t have the great outfield instincts of, say, someone like Darren Lewis. In the case of Lewis, who had many of the same tools Crisp does, those instincts alone made him a valuable role player.
Translation: With Crisp, the reality has differed greatly from the expectation, which brings us back to the question of what Sox officials saw - and what they were expecting - when they brought him here in the first place. Remember that before they traded Crisp, the Cleveland Indians first had to acquire another outfielder (Jason Michaels). At the time, Crisp was an affordable option to a Cleveland club that needs to carefully watch payroll, yet the Indians certainly seemed eager to move him.
Why, exactly, was that?
In defense of the Sox, a prominent executive from another large-market team said his club similarly held Crisp in high regard when he was traded.
Both the 27-year-old Crisp and the 2007 season are young enough for things to change dramatically in the coming days and weeks, but the worst-case scenario for Crisp this season was him getting off to a poor start.
And that is precisely what has happened.
So now, going forward, what are the Red Sox to do? If Crisp is indeed as skilled at hitting fastballs as the Red Sox believe, batting ahead of Dustin Pedroia (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Dustin+Pedroia&searchSite=pubdate) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/players.aspx?id=18067,pos=SS,team=028)] might not be the best place for him. Crisp was most effective in Cleveland as a No. 2 hitter, and batting between the speedy Julio Lugo (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Julio+Lugo&searchSite=recent) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/005/players.aspx?id=5668,pos=2B,team=005)] and the thunderous David Ortiz (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=David+Ortiz&mode=all) should get him more fastballs. But whatever the solution, the Red Sox seemingly need to help a player for whom they once had such great expectations.
Of course, there is now the very real possibility that they were simply foolish to expect such great things in the first place.
By Tony Massarotti (tmassarotti@bostonherald.com)
Boston Herald Sports Columnist
Monday, April 16, 2007 - Updated: 04:33 AM EST
The season is still young, but time is starting to catch up with Coco Crisp (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Coco+Crisp&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/players.aspx?id=6439,pos=CF,team=028)]. And soon, unless things change, we must all ask the obvious question:
What, exactly, did the Red Sox (http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox.bg) [team stats (http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/teamstats.aspx?team=028)] see in this guy?
The Sox and Los Angeles Angels were rained out at Fenway Park (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Fenway+Park&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) [map (http://news.bostonherald.com/maps/?data=fenwayPark)] yesterday, which was probably just as well for the former’s struggling center fielder. Crisp is batting a mere .111 with nine strikeouts and just four hits in 36 at-bats this season, and manager Terry Francona (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Terry+Francona&mode=all) had Wily Mo Pena (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=Wily+Mo+Pena&mode=all&sorting=pubdate) scheduled to start in center against Angels starter Ervin Santana.
Before this is viewed as some type of indictment on Crisp, who is clearly a better player than he has shown, let’s remember that he had no choice in coming to Boston. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Theo+Epstein&searchSite=recent) completed a trade for him shortly after returning to power in January 2006, and the idea was that Crisp would assume Johnny Damon’s place atop the lineup.
The fact that Crisp has not - he’s currently batting eighth - is far more a reflection on the Red Sox than on him.
Admittedly, evaluating Crisp as a player remains a tricky task. He started last season like a house of fire but broke his finger before the club even played a home game. He missed most of the first two months, finished with a .264 average and had virtually no impact on the field, which was far more disappointing than any statistic.
So what was the problem? That all depends on perspective.
The Red Sox have said publicly that, in their assessment, Crisp was one of the best fastball hitters in the league before his injury. After it, however, club officials didn’t see the same quick hands or bat speed. The implication was that Crisp’s finger was the primary cause of his problems and that he would be better this year.
So far, he’s been worse.
Now the disturbing part: Based on his track record - and based on what we’ve seen so far - Crisp has one truly above-average asset: speed. He doesn’t hit for an exceptionally high average, he doesn’t hit for exceptional power, he doesn’t throw well and he doesn’t have the great outfield instincts of, say, someone like Darren Lewis. In the case of Lewis, who had many of the same tools Crisp does, those instincts alone made him a valuable role player.
Translation: With Crisp, the reality has differed greatly from the expectation, which brings us back to the question of what Sox officials saw - and what they were expecting - when they brought him here in the first place. Remember that before they traded Crisp, the Cleveland Indians first had to acquire another outfielder (Jason Michaels). At the time, Crisp was an affordable option to a Cleveland club that needs to carefully watch payroll, yet the Indians certainly seemed eager to move him.
Why, exactly, was that?
In defense of the Sox, a prominent executive from another large-market team said his club similarly held Crisp in high regard when he was traded.
Both the 27-year-old Crisp and the 2007 season are young enough for things to change dramatically in the coming days and weeks, but the worst-case scenario for Crisp this season was him getting off to a poor start.
And that is precisely what has happened.
So now, going forward, what are the Red Sox to do? If Crisp is indeed as skilled at hitting fastballs as the Red Sox believe, batting ahead of Dustin Pedroia (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Dustin+Pedroia&searchSite=pubdate) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/028/players.aspx?id=18067,pos=SS,team=028)] might not be the best place for him. Crisp was most effective in Cleveland as a No. 2 hitter, and batting between the speedy Julio Lugo (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?keyword=Julio+Lugo&searchSite=recent) [stats (http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=bostonherald&page=mlb/teams/005/players.aspx?id=5668,pos=2B,team=005)] and the thunderous David Ortiz (http://news.bostonherald.com/search/?searchSite=true&keyword=David+Ortiz&mode=all) should get him more fastballs. But whatever the solution, the Red Sox seemingly need to help a player for whom they once had such great expectations.
Of course, there is now the very real possibility that they were simply foolish to expect such great things in the first place.