David Price-Dennis Eckersley Beef Resurfaces As Pitcher Says Analyst 'Needs Attention'
BOSTON (CBS) – It appears the Dennis Eckersley-David Price feud is still alive and well two years later.
In 2017, Price took umbrage with Eckersley saying "Yuck" during a NESN broadcast when stats were shown from Eduardo Rodriguez's rehab start in Pawtucket.
During a team flight later that summer, Price reportedly mocked Eckersley several times. After the incident, Price did not apologize, and Eckersley declined the team's efforts to set up a meeting between the two.
Eckersley was the subject of a Boston Globe feature article on Tuesday. In the article, he said he does not plan on speaking with Price.
"I didn't know how to deal with that. I don't plan on saying a word to him, I don't plan on seeing him, never," Eckersley said in the article. "I don't really give a [expletive] one way or another. I don't think he really cares one way or the other."
But based on a string of tweets on Wednesday, it seems Price may still have some feelings on the matter. Price used several laughing emojis as he quote tweeted an article shared by WEEI that featured part of the Eckersley quote.
He responded to someone calling his actions and comments "out of line" and suggesting Price apologize by saying "I had a meeting set up to apologize to him and he backed out that day. Get your facts right."
I had a meeting set up to apologize to him and he backed out that day. Get your facts right...
— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) July 17, 2019
Another Twitter user asked why the story had resurfaced, to which Price replied that Eckersley "needs attention."
Because ECK needs attention!! Same as every broadcast...hahah 8 pitches are thrown and he's sitting there talking about something he did 30 years ago (with zero mention of what's going on)
— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) July 17, 2019
There could be more to come from the Red Sox pitcher. In a third tweet he said "Today's gonna be lit!!!" with the hashtag "stay tuned."
Price offered pointed criticism of Eckersley when he met with reporters in the clubhouse Wednesday afternoon.
"I apologize, I didn't handle it the right way, and it continues to come up. There's no reason for it. Honestly, I just think it's trash," Price told reporters.
"That's absolutely what disappoints me the most. He wants to move on, but he continues to go on the radio or do interviews about it. If you want to move on, move on. We're two grown men. We can meet. Ain't nothing going to happen. I yelled at you. I'm sure everybody in here's been yelled at. It was unfortunate that it happened, I wanted to tell him that face to face, and he chose not to show up. So that was that."
He then referenced an MLB Network documentary on Eckersley, claiming the Hall of Famer was the voice most featured, rather than former teammates.
"If anybody ever does a special on me after baseball, I won't need to go on that interview. I will have former teammates, I'll have former coaches, they can all vouch for me," Price told reporters. "He didn't have that. To me, that's all you need to know. That tells the entire story right there. My teammates will vouch for me. My coaches will vouch for me. He doesn't have that. So he has to vouch for himself."
Manager Alex Cora was asked about the situation as well.
"I wasn't here. I wasn't part of it. I decided at that point whatever happened before, it happened before," said Cora. "I talked to David this morning. I'm going to keep that between us. It sucks that it keeps coming. David talked to you guys, and you know how he feels about that. So we'll leave it at that."