Carl Crawford appreciative of induction to Rays’ Hall of Fame

In receiving his Hall of Fame jacket and custom plate from principal owner Stuart Sternberg, Crawford said how appreciative he was to be inducted, and thanked people who helped him, from youth league coaches to Rays staff and teammates to the fans.

He got emotional hearing the praise from former teammates Rocco Baldelli, Edwin Jackson, Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria and James Shields, and he was excited to see BJ Upton on the field at the Trop. He enjoyed throwing the first pitch to his son Justin, a promising Phillies prospect.

Sternberg had referred to Crawford as “the linchpin between the Devil Rays and the Rays and all the success we’ve had,” and called him “the third member, and the most deserving member” of the Hall, which launched his year with prior inductions of Don Zimmer and Wade Boggs.