Editing Coco Crisp (section)

====2008 season====
[[File:Massive fenway brawl.jpg|thumb|[[Bench-clearing brawl]] on June 5, 2008.]]
On June 4, Crisp was the center of controversy in a game against the [[Tampa Bay Rays]]. While Crisp was trying to steal [[second base]] in the bottom of the sixth inning, Rays shortstop [[Jason Bartlett (baseball)|Jason Bartlett]] purposely placed his knee in front of the bag in an attempt to prevent Crisp from stealing the base.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaddis |first=Carter |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Strikeouts Concern Maddon |work=[[The Tampa Tribune]] |url=http://www2.tbo.com/sports/sports/2008/jun/06/sp-strikeouts-concern-maddon-ar-136627/ |url-status=bot: unknown |access-date=October 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009073615/http://www2.tbo.com/sports/sports/2008/jun/06/sp-strikeouts-concern-maddon-ar-136627/ |archive-date=October 9, 2012 }}</ref> Crisp stole the base, but was not happy with this. On base again in the bottom of the eighth inning, he attempted another steal, this time taking out second baseman [[Akinori Iwamura]] on a hard slide. His slide was controversial and catalyzed the "payback pitch" the following game. During a pitching change in that inning, Rays manager [[Joe Maddon]] and Crisp argued, with Crisp in the dugout and Maddon on the pitching mound. After the game, Crisp said that he thought Bartlett would cover the bag, instead he (Bartlett) chose to tell Iwamura to take the throw in the eighth inning. Crisp described Bartlett's knee in front of the bag as a "Dirty" play.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Joe |date=June 5, 2008 |title=Red Sox retake first from Rays 5–1 |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article607891.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=April 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109214013/http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article607891.ece |archive-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref> During the next game, with Crisp at bat in the bottom of the second inning, and the Sox up 3–1, Rays starter [[James Shields (baseball)|James Shields]] hit him on the thigh on the second pitch. Crisp [[Charging the mound|charged the mound]] and first dodged a punch from Shields, and then threw a glancing punch at Shields, which set off a [[bench-clearing brawl]]. Crisp, [[Jonny Gomes]], and Shields were ejected from the game.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ortiz |first=Jorge L. |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Even MVPs can be benched for not hustling |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/dailypitch/2008-06-06-rollins-hustle_N.htm |access-date=June 6, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Benjamin |first=Amalie |author-link=Amalie Benjamin |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Red Sox outfight Rays: Brawl precedes Ellsbury injury |work=[[Boston Globe]] |url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/06/06/red_sox_outfight_rays/ |access-date=June 27, 2008}}</ref> Major League Baseball suspended Crisp for seven games due to his actions in the brawl.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 7, 2008 |title=National Sports Briefs |work=[[Salisbury Post]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=http://www.salisburypost.com/Sports/0607-national |url-status=bot: unknown |access-date=June 8, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608101716/http://www.salisburypost.com/Sports/0607-national |archive-date=June 8, 2008 }}</ref> Upon appeal, the suspension was reduced to five games, which he had served as of June 28, 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edes |first=Gordon |author-link=Gordon Edes |date=June 27, 2008 |title=Crisp suspension reduced |work=[[Boston Globe]] |url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/06/crisp_suspensio.html |access-date=June 27, 2008}}</ref> In Game 5 of the [[2008 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], Crisp had a game-tying hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap Boston's seven-run comeback. Boston would go on to win the game 8–7 with a walk-off single in the ninth inning by [[J. D. Drew]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 17, 2008 |title=Drew's game-winning single keeps Red Sox alive in ALCS |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/281016102 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=[[ESPN]] |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213405/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/281016102 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 }}</ref> but eventually lost the series in seven games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chastain |first=Bill |date=October 20, 2008 |title=Magnificent 7: Rays amaze, top Sox |url=http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081019&content_id=3631606&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305212920/http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081019&content_id=3631606&vkey=recap&c_id=tb&fext=.jsp |archive-date=March 5, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=[[Tampa Bay Rays]] }}</ref>

[[File:Coco Crisp 2009 spring (1).jpg|upright|thumb|left|Crisp with the Kansas City Royals in 2009 [[spring training]].]]