Josh Beckett's kerfuffle with new Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine received plenty of attention in the media. Valentine did not have the best things to say about Beckett in his time as an analyst for ESPN, criticizing the pitcher's in-game pace in August. The two apparently made amends over the holidays, however. Valentine met Beckett at his home on New Year's Day to discuss the comments.
"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."
He added, "We had a little talk about [the ESPN commentary] and I think it was initiated just as a kind of conversation starter. It wasn't really anything too detailed. 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."
Beckett still defended the team's clubhouse practices during their monumental collapse at the end of the 2011 season, saying "what goes on in the clubhouse should stay in the clubhouse." For the moment, at least on appearances, all seems right between Beckett and his new boss.
For more on the Red Sox, head over to the SB Nation blog Over The Monster. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more on the team's 2012 offseason moves.