Price On Meeting Ortiz: 'Couldn't Have Gone Any Better'

BOSTON (CBS) -- David Price showed up to his first spring training with the Boston Red Sox early, wanting to get accustomed to the team's facilities and get those meet and greets with his new teammates out of the way.

But there was one meeting Boston's new ace was a bit worried about. He had no idea what to expect when he and David Ortiz crossed paths for the first time, given their history of clashes on the field as rivals in the AL East.

That meeting finally came on Monday, as Ortiz reported to Fort Myers, Florida for the final time of his career. And while they may have had some bad blood as opponents, all of that is in the past now that Price is wearing a Red Sox uniform.

For Price, his first exchange with Ortiz as a teammate was exactly what he needed to feel at home with his new team.

"I didn't know what to expect. He told me he had my back. It started with a handshake and ended with a hug," Price told reporters on Tuesday. "It couldn't have gone any better.

"He's the heart and soul of this team and Boston as well, and has been for a very long time. For me, being accepted by all my teammates, it's something I want and need. For it to be Big Papi, it was something I definitely wanted and definitely needed. I was very happy," he said.

"Whatever happened on the field stays on the field," Ortiz said Tuesday. "We're teammates now, and even going through whatever we went through, I know he's a good guy and a good person. You ask around and that's whatever everyone tells you. We're together now; they brought him in to try and win a championship here. I'm going to be his No. 1 supporter.

"I told him I was happy he was here because we need an ace," continued Ortiz. "We need a guy to show the rest of the rotation the way, and he's the perfect guy. I already told a few of the young left handers to move into David's house, so they could learn everything he knows."

The Price-Oritz feud reached a boiling point in the 2013 postseason, when Price accused the Boston slugger of thinking he's bigger than the game. Ortiz had a few choice words for the pitcher after hearing those comments, and was plunked by Price the following season.

All of that and any other beef that may have been lingering between the two players has now been squashed. It sounds like the "Two Davids" now have a budding friendship.

"I didn't know Big Papi the person, only the baseball player," Price said. "That's what makes this game special, getting to know people on a personal level. That's the stuff that lasts forever; baseball is going to end for everybody at some point. It's the relationships and friendships you take away that last forever."

Price also joked that if he were to face Ortiz in some live batting practice in the coming days, there would be no joke pitches thrown behind the slugger.

"I don't think I have the control right now to throw one behind somebody. It's not something I'll be doing," he said with a smile.

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• David Ortiz
• Boston Red Sox