The 2012 edition of the Boston Red Sox has done nothing to make fans forget the whole chicken and beer brouhaha that helped bring down the House that Tito Built.
Now, one of the ringleaders of last year’s Red Sox malcontents, Josh Beckett, is in the middle of another potential firestorm after reports surfaced Wednesday that the injury-plagued right-hander played golf last Thursday — two days before the Sox scratched him from a scheduled start because of purported stiffness in his back.
A report by 98.5 The Sports Hub said that Beckett played a round on an unnamed course with fellow pitcher, Clay Buchholz, during an off-day for the team. Sox manager Bobby Valentine claimed to be in the dark about the details but suggested it was not the best use of the ailing pitcher’s down time.
Beckett, whom the Sox did not place on the disabled list, was on his way back to Boston from Kansas City and was unavailable for comment, according to Thursday’s Boston Globe. His fellow pitcher and reported playing partner, Clay Buchholz, told the Globe he was “not going to talk about any of that stuff.”
Prior to Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the Royals, Valentine remained out of the loop about Beckett’s off-day activities.
“I don’t know that I’m aware of it. I’m aware of the story being out there,” Valentine told competing sports talk radio station, WEEI, Wednesday afternoon. “I haven’t gotten to Josh about that yet. I’m trying to sort out my feelings.”
About what, Bobby? Your erstwhile ace taking his skills to the fairway when he’s apparently too fragile to make a scheduled start, or the possibility that the brooding Beckett was ticked off at you for leaving him on the mound for more than the 100 pitches prescribed for today’s coddled hurlers?
For sure, as any long-time linkster knows, there are two types of golfers: those with bad backs, and those who will have bad backs. Which makes Beckett’s reported recreation of choice while resting his supposedly achin’ latissimus muscle open to double-guessing. Especially if he has to shut it down again after his next start.
Still, Bobby V conceded that swinging a golf club was just what pitchers did on their off-days.
“Golf is as much a part of the pitching culture as the curveball, I know that for sure,” he told WEEI on Wednesday, adding a disclaimer that the Sox did not skip Beckett’s start because of any boo-boo.
“When we decided for Josh not to make his start, it wasn’t that he was injured. It was just a precautionary situation,” he said. “His lat was a little tight. Again, I don’t know the specifics of this situation.”
Beckett skipped his regular turn in the rotation after making 126 pitches in his previous stint in Chicago on April 29. The official word from the Sox was that Beckett had a sore lat muscle.
Apparently, to his manager, Beckett’s level of golfing activity would determine how put out he might be.
“I don’t know if he was out at a charity match, just putting, or if he was whaling away and felt that might have loosened things up,” said Bobby V. “I have no idea what the situation actually is, so it’s hard for me to comment on it….If that was the case [that he played a complete round of 18 holes], I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off.”
Both Valentine and general manager Ben Cherington vouched for Beckett as a team player.
“I’m sure that Josh wouldn’t do anything that’s going to jeopardize his team or his season,” Valentine told the Globe. “I know that.’’
Cherington echoed his manager’s sentiments. “Knowing Josh, I don’t think he would have done something to further injure himself,” he said.
Beckett is slated to start Thursday against Cleveland at Fenway Park. The Sox, by the way, are 12-18 and DFL in the American League East.
