Valentine defends alcohol ban in clubhouse
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine denied on Monday that his clubhouse alcohol ban was a public relations move, and pitcher Josh Beckett blamed “snitches” for leaking the story about players drinking beer and eating fried chicken during games while the team was plummeting to an unprecedented September collapse.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine denied on Monday that his clubhouse alcohol ban was a public relations move, and pitcher Josh Beckett blamed “snitches” for leaking the story about players drinking beer and eating fried chicken during games while the team was plummeting to an unprecedented September collapse.
Valentine instituted the ban in response to postseason reports that Red Sox pitchers, including Beckett, hung out in the clubhouse on their off-nights eating and drinking instead of sitting in the dugout with their teammates. The Red Sox went 7-20 in September to finish one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL wild-card race.
After the season, manager Terry Francona was let go, and general manager Theo Epstein left for the Chicago Cubs. Francona is now an analyst with ESPN, and he said on Monday that the ban on clubhouse beer was “a PR move.”
“I think if a guy wants a beer, he can probably get one,” Francona said. “I don’t think it’s a surprise that they put this in effect, or the fact they announced it. It’s probably more of a PR move just because the Red Sox (took) such a beating at the end of the year.”
Valentine, who announced the ban on Saturday, said more than half of the teams in the majors ban alcohol in the clubhouse.
“How is it PR,” Valentine asked. “That means like 20 teams are looking for PR and that’s why they’re making good decisions?”
“Remember you get paid over there for saying stuff,” said Valentine, who had been an analyst at ESPN before essentially switching jobs with Francona. “You get paid over here for doing stuff.”
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