Carl Crawford Greeted by Boos, Cheers and a Standing Ovation in Return to Tampa

Carl Crawford took the field at Tropicana Field for the first time as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

As he approached the plate there were a mixture of cheers, standing ovations, and boos for the former Rays All-Star. The overwhelming majority of the crowd was in support of Crawford.

Crawford spent his first 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays (Devil Rays when he was drafted). During his tenure in Tampa Bay he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and was selected to four All-Star games, including an All-Star Game MVP.

He was a large part of the Rays success in 2008 and 2010. In both season Crawford and the Rays won the American League East Division Titles. In 2008, the Rays were the American League Champions but fell short to the Phillies in the World Series.

With all of that success it is very understandable that Crawford's departure was a hard pill for Rays fans to swallow. Rays fans felt as if their hopes departed with Crawford.

There is still a bond between Crawford and his former team. Upon arriving to Tropicana Field, one of the first things Crawford did was go by the Rays clubhouse.

This wasn’t by accident, muscle memory or confusion. He made the visit to say hello to his former teammates.

The question Crawford has received the most is what is the difference in the atmosphere between Boston and Tampa Bay?

Crawford said Tampa and its roster of young players was, “party central” while Boston is more “conservative.”