Toucher & Rich: Roche Live From Spring Training
Red Sox spring training is underway down in Fort Myers, Florida and WBZ-TV's Dan Roche is there.
Ryan Johnston and Mike Flynn, in for Toucher & Rich, spoke with Roche about what's going on in the "Sunshine State" with the Sox, Carl Crawford and Kevin Youkilis.
Carl Crawford spoke publicly at spring training and mentioned what John Henry said about him on Felger & Massarotti.
Listen: John Henry "Opposed" Signing Carl Crawford
"I'll just tell you that at the time, I opposed the deal," Henry told Felger & Mazz back in October of 2011.
Does Roche think Carl Crawford is one of those guys who will let things get under his skin?
"That's a good question, that's the question I had because it's a conversation that John needs to have with Carl Crawford. And say basically I was concerned we had a lefty heavy lineup with Ortiz, Ellsbury and company and the bottom line is he made the decisions to okay it and give him $142 million dollars. If he was that animate and that against it then he wouldn't have brought him here."
Are a lot of Crawford's issues all in his head?
"When he was down here last year at this time you could tell he was nervous and just excited though, he wanted to show the fans and show his teammates just how great a player he could be with this organization. I think everything snowballed and maybe he put too much pressure on himself from the beginning."
Kevin Youkilis spoke as well and when asked about leadership he said "I think leading by example is the best way."
What did Roche think of the positivity out of Youkilis?
"I think a lot of that is the renewal of spring and the rites of spring getting here and feeling that way. The other part is I think that he was frustrated because he couldn't play with the injury he had all last season."
What does Roche think of Bobby Valentine saying he's going to make the guys ride the bus to away games instead of driving their own cars?
Listen:
