Sox star is a hit in new home
MIDDLETON -- Once Coco Crisp got a bead on it, the trophy home with a lawn as green as Fenway Park wasn't for sale long.
The new Red Sox center fielder and his wife, Maria, recently bought the $1.7 million house in a woodsy neighborhood, lined with stone walls and antique lampposts, in the northeast corner of town.
''It reminds me of a vacation home," said Crisp, 26. ''The area is really nice, quiet, and wooded. It's quite a bit away from the city, which is what I was looking for."
The Crisps, and 9-month-old daughter Amailee, moved into their new digs a few weeks ago. The 6,292-square-foot house -- with five bedrooms, a chef's kitchen, library, and inground pool -- sits on 3 acres with views of the Ipswich River.
''I'm looking forward to putting a canoe in the river and doing some fishing," said Crisp, who recently signed a long-term deal with the Sox. ''I'd like maybe to get a little boat with a motor."
The Crisps found the home on the Internet. They also looked at a spread in Boxford, but said it had too much land.
Although new to town, Crisp already has the air of a townie. He has tasted clam chowder from Farmer Brown's, and vows to follow up on a taxi driver's tip to check out Richardson's ice cream. He has also accepted house-warming gifts from neighbors, and signed a few autographs for kids.
''I'm still trying to get used to the neighborhood," Crisp said. ''Everyone so far has been very nice."
Around town, in corner shops and banks, at school bus stops and playgrounds, the buzz is all about Coco. ''He's, like, the coolest dude," said Kristen Russo, 14, a seventh-grader at Howe-Manning School. ''All the kids are talking about him living here."
Howe's Station Market displays the 2006 Red Sox Yearbook, with a cover photo of David Ortiz splashing Crisp with milk, a play on his cereal-like nickname.
''He is so nice," said Bhumi Karia, 24, a store clerk who waited on Crisp one Saturday. ''I saw him come in, and I thought, 'Is that Coco Crisp?' I wasn't sure. Then I looked at his finger, and I knew it was him."
Crisp has been on the disabled list for several weeks with a broken finger. Along with the rest of Red Sox Nation, his ''hometown" fans hope he's healthy soon.
''I hope he can maybe play catch with me," said Evan Brady, 9, a first baseman for the Middleton Muckdogs, a Little League team.
Christine Malachowski, 41, a Sox season ticket-holder, has her own goal. She's teaching daughters Victoria, 6, and Karina, 2, to say, ''Johnny Damon who?"
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. 