One of the stories that lingered a bit this winter was Valentine’s inability to get Crawford on the telephone for an introductory chat. It even sounded like Crawford was ducking him.
Untrue, said Crawford. The reason was far less sinister.
“I change my number all the time,’’ Crawford said. “That’s all it was. I changed my number, and even my agents didn’t have it for a while. We eventually talked.’’
Crawford said that from what he knows of Valentine, he likes him.
“He’s a high-energy guy and I’m the same way,’’ Crawford said. “We had a good talk yesterday and he was making me laugh. I think I’m going to like playing for him.’’
Crawford disputed the notion that he might have been offended by Valentine criticizing his swing on ESPN last season.
“Trust me, I know my swing was screwed up,’’ he said. “He wasn’t saying anything I didn’t already know.’’
Hands-on approach
Daisuke Matsuzaka usually plays catch with his interpreter, Jeff Cutler, but Valentine grabbed a mitt and warmed him up before yesterday’s workout.
Matsuzaka said he was nervous, having never played catch with his manager before. But there were smiles all around and hundreds of photos taken by Japanese media.
Valentine, who speaks Japanese after managing in Japan, spoke with Matsuzaka Monday and encouraged him to use his changeup, a pitch he abandoned early in his Red Sox career because the ball was larger than the one he used in Japan.
By the time he got a feel for the pitch, midway through 2008, the Sox preferred he stick with fastballs and sliders.
“I don’t want him to be a two-pitch pitcher,’’ said Valentine. “I don’t want him to be a cutter/sinker pitcher. I don’t think that’s him.’’
Said Matsuzaka: “He spoke his side of his opinions, which I thought were very insightful. I also told him my thoughts. I think we’re on the same page and we can move forward now.’’
Matsuzaka is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is not expected back until the second half of the season. He is sporting a Justin Bieber-like mop of hair tinted a dull orange.
Out of the loop?
