MLB Franchise Four – Biggest Snubs for Each Team
Tampa Bay Rays/Devil Rays – Carl Crawford
Franchise Four: Evan Longoria, David Price, James Shields, Ben Zobrist
One glance at the Franchise Four of the Tampa Bay Rays, and you have a full understanding of the short window of success that the team has enjoyed since its inception in 1998. All four players were part of the team’s lone American League Championship team, showing that there is still a lot of love for the teams that Joe Maddon led while still in Tampa.
But what of the one guy that was the face of the franchise for nine seasons while the team toiled and struggled? Where was the love for Carl Crawford?
Despite leaving the team after the 2010 season, Crawford still ranks second with a 36.7 career WAR, is the franchise leader in runs scored (765) and stolen bases (409), ranks sixth in home runs, and second in RBI. A four-time All-Star, Crawford hit .296/.337/.444 over 1,235 games as a Ray.
If anything, Crawford should get some credit from Rays fans for flying the coop and getting the division-rival Boston Red Sox to sign him to one of the worst contracts in recent memory. That’s got to be worth something.
Next: Red Sox - Roger Clemens