David Price gets heated with reporters after refusing interviews
David Price’s time with the Boston Red Sox hasn’t gone as smoothly as expected. Price struggled in his first year after signing a seven-year, $217 million deal, posting a 3.99 ERA last season. He once again struggled in the postseason, giving up five runs in his only start.
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But things are supposed to be improving. The Red Sox are within striking distance of the New York Yankees in the American League East. They finally have Price back after an injury threatened to keep him sidelined for an extended period. He was exceptional in his last start.
Despite all that, Price is unhappy about one part of his experience in Boston. Price will no longer speak with the media on days he’s not pitching. He’ll conduct only post-game interviews on days he takes the mound. He’s done doing personal interviews in Boston. He relayed all of that to Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy on Tuesday.
Predictably, reporters asked Price about his stance prior to Wednesday’s game. It did not go well. Price reportedly “snapped at” CSN New England reporter Evan Drellich as the rest of the media members met with manager John Farrell. That report comes from ESPN’s Scott Lauber. Drellich was asked about the conversation, saying Price “was directly unhappy with me.”
Drellich went into more detail about the confrontation prior to Thursday night’s game. That video can be seen over at CSNNE.com.
After that, Price was approached by Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald. After being told he would speak only on days he pitched, Price told Buckley to “write whatever the [expletive] you want. Just write it. Whatever the [expletive] you want.”
Buckley spoke with team media director Kevin Gregg, who told Buckley to hang around as he talked to Price. Price still refused to do the interview, saying “[expletive] them! [Expletive] them all. All of them.”
While it’s uncommon for a player to severely restrict media access, Price is allowed to make that choice. Major League Baseball expects and encourages its players to speak with the media, but it is not required, according to Drellich.
Price’s issues stems from how he believes he is portrayed by the local media. According to Price, he receives negative coverage whether or not he talks to reporters. Since nothing changes either way in his mind, Price has decided he’s better off not speaking with them.
In what should be an … let’s go with entertaining … twist, Price is slated to start Thursday night’s game against the Yankees. It’s rare to say any post-game interview is a must-watch, but this has all the makings of a possible classic.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
