Paxton Crawford, Part II

I don't really have anything original or thought-provoking to add about the Paxton Crawford story (you may have noticed I rarely write or post about steroids, though I did just start reading Howard Bryant's Juicing The Game) but I have a strong feeling these kinds of admissions (see, also, David Segui) are going to be trickling out for quite a few years.

Crawford was surprised when Globe reporter Gordon Edes (looking at the byline, it has to be Edes and not newcomer Chris Snow) told him (via phone) that he'd covered the Red Sox for about a decade (including Crawford's time with the Sox in 2000-01) and had no idea if anyone was using steroids. Crawford claims steroid use was widespread -- "It was just everywhere".

P.S.: It was in late June 2000, that drugs, vials and syringes were found in the glove box of Sox infielder Manny Alexander's car.

To those who think that steroids may not help pitchers:

When I started using, I noticed my fastball jumped from 92-93 to 95-96 mph. But the biggest change for me was consistency. My breaking pitches had more velocity and sharper break. I was probably using the most back in 2001, when I made the Red Sox' rotation out of spring training.

Only three current Sox -- Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, and Trot Nixon -- were with Crawford in 2001. Wake and Tek voiced suspicion over the details of Crawford's story, although Varitek did admit:

There's so much we don't know about what other guys are doing. ... Granted, this team over the years has gotten to where guys hang out more, go to dinner, and I still don't think you're necessarily going to know, no matter what it is.