Shaughnessy: David Price 'Right Up There' With Most Unhappy Red Sox Ever
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's only become more clear in recent weeks that David Price is not the happiest player in Boston. Between the intense, sometimes excessive media scrutiny and the heckling from angry fans - even in Pawtucket - Price does not appear comfortable pitching for the Red Sox.
The latest, and most controversial, target of Price's ire has been NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley, himself a former Red Sox pitcher. The two reportedly had a confrontation on the team plane that was detailed in a recent column by the Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy. The recounting of the incident painted a picture of a player who set out to publicly humiliate and belittle Eckersley, who is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Shaughnessy joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Marc Bertrand and Adam Jones, filling in for Scott Zolak, on the Zolak & Bertrand show on Tuesday to discuss his story and the latest in the Price-Eckersley controversy. In covering Price over the past season and a half, Shaughnessy said Price has been the most unhappy Red Sox players he's ever met - and believes it would be a bad thing if his attitude seeped into that of others in the Red Sox clubhouse.
"He's right up there," said Shaughnessy on Price. "I'm just wondering if he is in any way assuming a leadership role in the room, that's not what you want … because he's unhappy."
Shaughnessy made it clear that he found Price's behavior on the team plane, which was corroborated by 17 different sources, objectionable - considering that it was directed at Eckersley in particular and was done in such a "bullying" fashion.
"There's no clear-cut right or wrong on any issue, but this is as close as you can get in my view," said Shaughnessy. "Given who the people are, what the transgressions are, and ambushing a guy in a middle school bus fashion."
Though Price's behavior has been widely criticized, Shaughnessy isn't expecting an apology any time soon - and is disappointed that the Red Sox don't seem interested in making him do so.
"[Price] thinks he's right and he's still mad," said Shaughnessy. "You're not going to get a public apology, or even a private apology from him on this, because he thinks he's right. ... [The Red Sox] just give up, from above, trying to get people to do the right thing, and that's surprising to me."
