Speedy Crawford gives Red Sox big offensive boost

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Carl Crawford leads off first base, watches the pitcher's motion then takes off at just the right moment for an easy steal of second.

And, then, maybe third.

He's one of the best at swiping bases, especially against Boston. And now, to the great relief of manager Terry Francona, he can do it for the Red Sox.

"He looks awful good in our uniform," Francona said Friday. "When he walked in today, I said, 'It's amazing how you can hate somebody so much in a different uni and then fall in love with him when they're in your uni."

Crawford stole at least 46 bases in seven of his last eight seasons with Tampa Bay. He had 47 last year then agreed to a $142 million, seven-year contract with Boston as a free agent.

His 62 stolen bases against the Red Sox are the most he's had against any team. They've thrown him out just four times. Against Jason Varitek, now Boston's backup catcher, he's 35 for 36. That includes his 6-for-6 performance against Varitek on May 3, 2009, tying the major league high for steals in a game since 1900.

Crawford laughed heartily when it was suggested that his stolen base totals might suffer now that he can't take advantage of the Red Sox.

"I try to get as many as I can every year," the four-time AL stolen base champion said. "That's my goal, to try to come out and put pressure on the other team and steal as many bags and try to get into scoring position."

That pressure also will come from his new teammate, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who has two of the four highest stolen base totals in Red Sox history — a team-record 70 in 2008 and 50 in 2009 before swiping just seven last year when broken ribs limited him to 18 games.

"He's the guy that I think of as kind of like myself," Crawford said. "We can run together. I want him to do as good as he can because I think the better he does, it's going to help everybody out."

With either of them on first, pitchers have a tough choice: fire a fastball over the plate to keep them from getting a good jump — but perhaps surrendering a homer — or letting them steal and focus on retiring the batter with a good pitch.

That was Francona's dilemma when he looked out of the Boston dugout and saw Crawford at first.

"We came to the conclusion that if he got on base four times he was going to get stolen bases," Francona said. "You can spend so much time trying not to give up a stolen base that you end up giving up three runs."