Report: John Henry Clarifies Carl Crawford Remarks, Says Signing Was 'Baseball Decision I Ultimately Backed'

Report: John Henry Clarifies Carl Crawford Remarks, Says Signing Was ‘Baseball Decision I Ultimately Backed’

by Dan Duquette Jr. on Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 1:00PM

Carl Crawford reported to spring training on Monday and admitted that he has a chip on his shoulder regarding Red Sox owner John Henry's comments about him during the offseason.

On Tuesday, Henry responded and tried to clarify what he meant when he told 98.5 The Sports Hub that he was "personally opposed" to signing Crawford last year.

"At the time I was opposed due to too many lefties in the lineup and particularly in the outfield," Henry wrote to the Boston Herald in an e-mail. "My answer was an honest, off-the-cuff response on a radio station to a false assertion that ownership signed him for offseason PR purposes.

"This was a baseball decision I ultimately backed," Henry continued.

While Crawford has said he "wasn't happy" with Henry's comments and that he thought it "unfortunate" his owner felt that way, the Red Sox outfielder also stated that he didn't feel the need to meet with Henry in private.

Now, with this incident in the rear view mirror, Crawford has said he will try to change Henry's mind with his play on the field.