Beckett also discussed his meeting with Bobby Valentine last month.
“I don’t think we really got specific with anything. Bobby came to my house and we had a great talk,” Beckett said. “He seems like he’s really excited about this. I think the first thing I said to him was, ‘Hey, congratulations,’ because I don’t think anybody’s ever been handed something like the Boston Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox, not only the organization, but the team that we have right now is so talented and he even said, ‘Yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about.’ “
Valentine said at the time that Beckett was “pissed” about some of his comments on ESPN last year about the righthander’s slow pace on the mound.
“We had a little talk about it and I think it was initiated just as a kind of conversation starter. It wasn’t really anything too detailed,” Beckett said “I think it was one of those deals where he felt bad because somebody else told him he should feel bad about it, but it wasn’t anything for me.”
Jacoby Ellsbury also talked to the Portland Tribune about the collapse last season.
“We just didn’t win games at the end,” he said. “We started the season off cold, were one of the best teams in baseball through the middle of the season, then fell off at the end. I don’t think you can pinpoint one specific thing as a reason, but it was disappointing to all of us that it happened.”
He also discussed Terry Francona’s departure and the arrival of Valentine.
“I liked Tito,” Ellsbury said. “But sometimes when you don’t win, changes are made. Managers get fired. Players can get traded at any time, too. You have to go about your business and be a professional about it.”
Valentine recently visited with Ellsbury in Arizona.
“He’s excited for this season,” Ellsbury said. “He has a lot of energy. He’ll be good for our players. We’re looking forward to getting started.”
