It’s a creepy feeling when you think someone is watching you. Such was the case when newly acquired Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford found out his new team had been keeping tabs long before they signed him.
Last week Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein revealed his team had scouted Crawford for months before last season ended. Epstein referred to the scouting as a “private investigation,” looking into Crawford’s decision making on the baseball field, in the clubhouse and in his everyday life.
When Crawford was asked about the investigation he said, “[It] creeped [me] out a bit,” And for good reason: there was an investigator tailing him away from the ballpark. However — even though this sounds like an invasion of privacy — Epstein and the Boston Red Sox had solid grounds to follow Crawford around.
First off, the Red Sox knew going into this past offseason that Crawford was the premier free agent. In order to sway him to sign, they would have to offer Crawford a major multi-year deal. When the Red Sox were to offer Crawford his seven-year $142 million contract they needed to know it was wise investment.
As with any job, a business or organization needs to insure their new employees make ethical decisions not just in the workplace, but in their home lives as well. This is because problems in the home life can bleed over into an employee’s performance. Thus the standard background checks any new employee has before getting hired.
However, when million dollar contracts of multiple years get thrown into the mix, an organization owes it to themselves and to their fans to look more thoroughly into their recent acquisitions lifestyle. A more intense background check as the one the Red Sox conducted could have prevented the fiasco of former baseball star Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry signed a major deal back in the 1990s, but hardly played because of injuries and suspensions due to his involvement with cocaine.
In the end, the Red Sox were taking precautions before offering the big contract. A player with the caliber of Crawford can be a franchise tag for years, and be integral on the field and in the local community. The investigation ended proving that Crawford is a great person all around and worth the money they spent on him this offseason. It only makes me more upset that my Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim didn’t make the offer they should have to get this great player.
Chasen Doerr is a junior journalism major and contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
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