The player has made a noble but risky effort to play hurt and live up to expectations.
Carl Crawford has been a disappointment in Boston, but it's not because he doesn't care. He now faces a decision to have elbow surgery sooner rather than later.NEW YORK - The next time your watercooler talk centers on Red Sox players who don't give a hoot, do the right thing and give Carl Crawford some credit.
The Red Sox outfielder cares too much - about the impossible task of living up to his contract, about being a good Red Sox guy, and about not letting down the fans.
It is why Crawford has been risking the sight of throwing from the outfield to second base and seeing his elbow chips reach the bag before the ball does.
But if Crawford needs Tommy John surgery, as it is widely accepted he does, the time is now. Weekend reports that he no longer sees the point in delaying the procedure make sense.
Helping his team salvage a playoff spot was the driving reason for Crawford to delay surgery until after the season. That strategy, which carried the risk of making 2013 another lost year, makes no sense with the playoff goal realistically kaput.
It was never the best plan, anyway. Crawford is injured.
Just because the Red Sox want to start getting a return on their investment, or because of Crawford's commendable attempt to start delivering it, does not justify more damage to an already messed-up elbow.
If the Washington Nationals can put Stephen Strasburg's future above a possible World Series run, the Red Sox should not think twice about shutting Crawford down while they live in fourth place.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, who is emerging as a voice of reason in an organization that needs one, says the call is up to Crawford. That's better than forcing him to play, though short of what the club should do.
Leaving it up to Crawford means forcing him to consider doing the smart thing, shut himself down and risk being called a slacker, though I think Crawford is underestimating the fans' ability to understand his situation.
Either that, or he can do the noble thing, which is to keep playing for a dead-end team and risk ruining his elbow.
Crawford's agent says he will follow the advice of the team's doctors. Given the controversy the club medical staff has encountered on occasion, that's quite a statement in itself.
Bobby Valentine was asked about it Saturday. It was one of those moments that showed the manager for all he is - humorous and entertaining, but insensitive and out of the loop.
"Slow news day, was it? I might have to have surgery, too,'' he responded to a question about a condition that could threaten his star outfielder's career.
Valentine has not been on the same page as Crawford all along. He says the outfielder is playing great, and he acknowledges the physical challenges involved.
But within the organization, Crawford has been reluctant to talk with anyone about nailing down a specific schedule for surgery. He believes the Red Sox want him on the field if he can do it.
And yes, fans, he also cares what you think. While John Lackey has been double-fisting his way through a Red Sox tenure that has left everyone feeling they were had, Crawford probably put too much pressure on himself to live up to what was expected of him.
That determination explains why Crawford has yet to undergo a surgery he is convinced he will need. If he were to have it done now, then take the six to nine months required for healing, he might be back at some point between spring training and midseason next year.
Waiting much longer will put him on the shelf for 2013. The Red Sox should be urging Crawford to do it now, not leaving it up to him.
My admiration for Crawford as a person, though, continues to grow. He is not worth the money, for which we can blame Theo Epstein, John Henry and maybe the player's agent.
But he is worth our respect. Crawford has been playing with pain because he wanted to let his team and its fans know he is "all in'' on helping the Red Sox.
The best way to do that is to get this surgery done. Not next month or next winter, but now.