Conversation with Crisp goes far afield

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp was asked yesterday how he felt after playing for the first time since March 14. Crisp talked about shopping.

"I went to the mall last night," Crisp said, "and I bought a couple of hats. I found this Pawtucket hat. Pretty cool, huh?"

Why would you do that? "Because I wanted it. Got it in Lids."

Maybe it was just his mood. Maybe it was an end-of-spring-training vibe. But the conversation remained a bit off-center.

"Nahh, I felt fine," he said.

Crisp flied deep to center, walked, singled, and stole second. Any timing issues?

"No, I felt fine," he said. "I usually play my best ball when I miss, like, three weeks, and then come back and play one game. At least it worked out that way today."

On the stolen base, Crisp slid head first, which would seem to underscore that his ailing right shoulder was OK. "I wasn't even thinking about it," he said.

Crisp said he was looking forward to testing his shoulder against lefthanders, but he feigned horror at the suggestion he might be sent down to minor league camp to get some extra at-bats.

"I don't want any part of that," he said.

The shoulder is fine, he said. He rolled his eyes when asked about his surgically repaired finger, though he acknowledged there was still some stiffness.

Then the conversation made another curious turn.

Looking forward to showing people in Boston the real Coco?

"I don't really care what the people think about me," Crisp said. "Or you guys or anything like that. I just go out there and play and have fun. Hope the rest of the people enjoy watching me.

"But as far as me wracking my brain about what anybody thinks, I don't do that. I hope they enjoy watching us play as a team, I do something, they enjoy that part of it. But I don't care if people think I suck, or they think I'm good. I just go out there and have fun, and hopefully the ball falls in."

"Don't get me wrong," he added. "I like the fans."

You really don't care if people think you "suck"?

"No. I don't care. I go out there and play hard. If people think I'm good, then thank you. If they think I suck, then thank you anyway. I don't really care. Go out there and play hard and try to do my job and have fun with it. Hopefully, I do well at it."

GORDON EDES