Carl Crawford, best known for his nine-year tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays (he also spent time with the Dodgers and Red Sox late in his career), was in attendance for Sunday night’s MLB Draft in Los Angeles, waiting to hear his son’s name called. Justin Crawford, a star outfielder on the Vegas prep circuit, would ultimately join the Phillies with the 17th overall pick, but the real story was his father’s appearance, debuting a shocking new face tattoo on his right temple.
Crawford, who turns 41 next month, has led an eventful post-playing career, fathering a child with reality star Evelyn Lozada (who has also been in relationships with former athletes Chad Johnson and Antoine Walker of Boston Celtics fame) while starting his own record label. One of his artists, Megan Thee Stallion, is suing the former All-Star, causing a bitter feud that played out over Twitter recently with Crawford calling the three-time Grammy winner a “bona fide alcoholic” while threatening to countersue.
Predictably, social media had plenty to say about Crawford’s new ink, wondering what possessed the former Rays and Red Sox slugger to walk this path. Pop-culture trendsetters Post Malone and Lil Wayne have made face tattoos more societally acceptable in recent years, though getting your own last name scrawled above your eye is still an exceedingly bold move, regardless of occupation.
This isn’t the first time the Phillies have drank from the Crawford well, drafting Carl’s cousin (and Justin’s second cousin) J.P. with the 16th pick in 2013. Crawford now plays for the Mariners, earning American League Gold Glove honors at shortstop in 2020.
Crawford, who turned down a football scholarship from Nebraska (he was also a highly coveted basketball recruit, drawing interest from UCLA, among other powerhouse programs) to pursue his big-league dreams, was named to four All-Star teams, leading the American League in triples four times. His 480 steals, amassed over 15 MLB seasons, rank 43rd all-time. Crawford was eligible for the Hall of Fame this year but didn’t receive any votes and won’t appear on future ballots.
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