Carl Crawford says he played hurt due to Boston fans’ pressure

Los Angeles, CA, United States (4E Sports) – Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford has claimed that pressure from Boston fans compelled him to play despite having an injured elbow.

“I tried to push it a little bit. With the Boston fans, you’ve got to try. A big deal was made about my money and stuff, so I tried to prove it and play for the team,” Crawford said during an introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, I should have taken care of myself when the doctor told me to.

Crawford, who signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Red Sox before the 2011 season, realized that he was seriously injured in April when he could barely throw the ball from left field but played through the pain.

“You felt the pressure from the outside to have to play in that atmosphere. If you don’t play, it’s like you’re soft or somebody who’s just trying to take money from them or something like that,” Crawford said.

“I wanted to prove that that wasn’t the case. Me being stubborn like that probably cost me a little time the next year,” he added.

The injury limited Crawford to 31 games before he underwent Tommy John surgery in July. A month later, he was traded to the Dodgers by the Red Sox as part of a nine-player blockbuster.

Crawford is expected to join the Dodgers outfield at some point in April or early May. He has yet to be cleared for batting practice or throwing, and likely won’t be until January.

At first, Crawford found the trade to Los Angeles hard to accept but eventually welcomed it, saying the development was a whiff of fresh air after a tough year in Boston.

“It’s one of those things I wouldn’t want any player to go through, so for me to be able to get out of that situation is definitely a relief. I won’t have to go through all the stress and stuff every day that they were putting us through,” Crawford said.

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