Spring Training Work Outs Began

photo by: Jim Davis, Boston.com

Spring has sprung and the Red Sox are back. With the first full squad work out complete spring training is underway. A lot news has come out of the day.

New rules came out of JetBlue park and to be honest they came right on schedule. Head coach Bobby Valentine announced that their would be no beer in the club house or on return trips to Boston. This was expected after last seasons beer and chicken disaster. Not only because of that but because it has been banned in every club house Bobby V has been apart of with the exception Texas. With the ban the Red Sox become the 19th team to do so. Valentine doesn't expect any back lash from the lack of beer.

David Ortiz added his support of the ban. "It doesn't matter. We're not here to drink; we're here to play baseball. This isn't a bar." Ortiz went on to say, "This is an organization, a place that needs a lot of athleticsm. Alcohol has nothing to do with that. We have alcohol in our houses. If you want to drink, drink at home."

Today was also a big day for Carl Crawford, as well has his feelings. Crawford meet with team owner John Henry early in the day. Henry apologized for comments he made that he opposed the Crawford signing.

"It went really." Crawford said on the meeting. "He was real apologetic, I told him there were no hard feelings or nothing like that.We all share the same goal and that is to help us win, get back where we should be..."

"I should have never made those comments," Henry said in an owners Q&A session held this morning. "It was an off the cuff remark I shouldn't have made, so when I see him I'm going to apologize to him for it."

Crawford comes into spring training recovering from a minor wrist surgery. Crawford  took 30 swings today in the cage and he appeared to be pleased with the outcome. Though it did come with some discomfort to the injured wrist.

"It felt good," Crawford said. "I took more swings, I swung hard so it felt good.

 "[I had] a little soreness, but that's expected," Crawford went on to say. "Hopefully it's something I can play through and get used to that and eventually that little soreness will go away."

Crawford plans to be on the opening day roster come April 5th in Detroit. Valentine spoke on the matter.

"Sooner than I thought, originally," Bobby V said. "Hopefully not so soon that it sets him back, we're trying to make the time right. Of Course, we've talked about some absolute time frames.

"I think [Crawford being ready for opening day] could be realistic, but again I don't know. I wouldn't doubt it. Talking to Carl, I wouldn't doubt many things. He seems very determined."

Crawford is coming off his worst season since entering the big league hopefully now that he has one year under his belt and a surgery to fix an injury he will be better prepared for his second season in Boston.

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