What has happened to Carl Crawford?

Carl Crawford, where have you been? (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

It was a great day when the Boston Red Sox signed Carl Crawford this past winter to a seven-year, $142 million deal. Adding his versatility to a lineup already featuring Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz was believed to be the icing on the cake.

The contract itself may have been a bit pricey, even for the loaded Red Sox, but given his talent they had reason to believe he could immediately and continuously live up to the amount (as much as a person swinging a bat and hitting a ball can, at least.) Instead, he hasn’t even been a shadow of his former self, struggling mightily.

His decline is perplexing and very frustrating. Boston’s offense has otherwise been superb, sparing Crawford much public scrutiny. It has the major’s most runs, the most hits, the most doubles, the best batting average, and the highest On Base Percentage. He has held them back from accomplishing much, much more. Crawford, who turned 30 on Friday, entered the Red Sox series opener against the New York Yankees with a .242 batting average–51 points lower than his career mark–and an equally hideous On Base Percentage; he had two hits in the eventual loss, raising his OBP to a still-horrendous .279.

As WEEI‘s Kirk Minihane writes:

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“Three American League regulars have a lower on-base percentage than Carl Crawford. That’s it. He’s walked 13 times this season. That is tied for 133rd in the American League. He has a line against left-handed pitchers — .137/.200/.235 — that plenty of NL pitchers would pass on.

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Carl Crawford — who has a career 162-game average of 52 stolen bases — is on pace to steal 18 bases in 2011. In 1985 Bill Buckner stole 18 bases for the Red Sox with two busted ankles and a pair of high tops. “

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It must be remembered that this is his first year in Boston. He is adjusting to life in a bigger market, with higher stakes and more pressure. And he’s been battling some injuries this year. But now he is healthy, and he has had time to get the Beantown butterflies out of his stomach.

At some point, every player goes through ups and downs. Stars have down years. A slow start is understandable, due to getting acclimated to a new environment. Yet, it is difficult to excuse his continued problems at the plate. He is in the same division, he is seeing many of the same pitchers, and he is in the prime of his career. What is going on? Is he simply unable to handle the pressure in Boston? Is he in an incredibly rapid decline? Or is it just that he is consistently not seeing the ball well?

He isn’t getting around on fastballs, and he is flailing at offspeed pitches out of the strikezone. Against left-handers, he is hitting .144 this season, with 25 strikeouts to 15 hits. He has 17 hits and six rbi’s since the All-Star Break. Even with a 2-4 outing against New York, he is hitting a measly .159 against Boston’s hated rival this season–his lowest mark against any opponent.

Fans don’t seem to be too worried about his woes. It helps that the offense is so good around him. And, rightfully so, the majority think this slump is a prolonged hiccup in what will eventually be a stellar career with Boston.

His teammates are also confident in his abilities.

“I don’t know if he can work any harder than he does,” reliever Dan Wheeler said in an excellent piece by New York Times‘ Tyler Kepner. “A lot of guys don’t see Carl. He gets here early. I noticed that through the Tampa years — you don’t see him work out unless you’re there early. He’s had one of the best routines I’ve ever seen. That’s the reason why he’s as good as he is.”

Working hard hasn’t equated to much success, however. That will have to change. Those around him in the bottom of the lineup are by no means consistently productive. And the pitching staff has been underwhelming and depleted. Boston will need all the offense they can get in these final two months of the season and in the playoffs to make a deep run. This means he has to be the player they signed. Does he have it in him?