David Ortiz claims Bobby Valentine dealing with ‘mental issues’
Last month, former Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine spoke on national television about his crazy season with the Sox in an interview with Bob Costas. The session was largely boring since Costas did not seem to be willing to ask Valentine any tough questions, but Valentine still managed to offend one key member of the Red Sox during the interview: David Ortiz.
The 37-year-old Ortiz was shut down for the season on Aug. 27 after a brief return from an Achilles tendon injury. In his interview with Costas, Valentine claimed that instead of being told by the team he would have to miss the rest of the season, Ortiz refused to play once it became evident that 2011 would be a lost season for the Red Sox.
After inking a new two-year, $26 million deal with the Sox on Monday, Ortiz finally fired back at his former manager.
“Stopping me (from playing) was the decision of the doctors, management, the manager and me,” Ortiz said in an interview with ESPNDeportes.com. “The team doctor recommended that I stop playing to not make the situation worse for the tendon.”
Ortiz said Valentine attempted to reach out to him after the interview, but Ortiz has refused to reconnect with his former manager.
“[Valentine] sent me a text message trying to tell me that it was the media trying to change things,” Ortiz said in the ESPNDeportes interview. “I did not respond to the message and I said to myself, ‘this guy must have some mental issues or needs medicine or something.’ I said, ‘I am dealing with someone crazy and I am not going to drive myself crazy, so it is better if I leave it alone.'”
The shot at Ortiz seemed especially foolish of Valentine, since according to both Ortiz and many reporters, Ortiz is one of the few players on the 2011 Red Sox roster that consistently stood up for his manager. While Valentine no longer needs to fight for the respect of his former team, it seems he has officially lost any respect he used to have from Ortiz.
