Rick Weber 9y

Shane Victorino responds to radio comments on Mookie Betts

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino on Thursday lashed out at two Boston sports radio talk-show hosts for accusing him of lobbying the team to trade outfielder Mookie Betts.

“The reason I paid attention so much to this is that this was a situation that got taken out of proportion and made it like I was trying to call my teammates out or I’m trying to get a guy shipped out,” Victorino said of comments made by hosts Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on their radio show on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “Come on, that’s the last thing I’m trying to do. ... If anything, I’m trying to be there for my teammates and help them be better.

“As I said, the guys who make these kind of conversations, they’re not here today. They sit behind a [microphone] and ... it’s like, 'OK, I can say whatever I like. People will call in and make it a big story.' That’s fine. Hey, show me some credibility and come in. These guys, I don’t even know who these guys are. ... Mazz and whatever the other guy is. I’ll never get to talk to them face-to-face. Why? Because they don’t want to show up. Hey, hold yourself accountable.”

The comments by Felger and Massarotti came during Tuesday’s show in response to a Philadelphia Daily News article in which Victorino praised former teammate and Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels -- the subject of trade rumors involving the Red Sox and their young prospects.

The Victorino quote from the Daily News story that drew their attention: "Any time you can get a No. 1, as I told these guys -- not the front office, but the players -- any time you can go get a guy in my opinion who is established, who has done it, [you do it]. And I understand you don't want to give up this prospect or that prospect. You're hoping this guy becomes a Cole Hamels. Hoping. Oh wait, that guy is there now. And even as a hitter. Why would you hope that guy becomes this hitter, when you have it right now? And I understand there's a financial side. And there's a bigger picture. But like I said, at the end of the day, it's right here in front of you. Why are you hoping?"

Felger accused Victorino of “throwing your young players under the bus who are competing against you for your job.” Massarotti said Victorino was a “34-year-old breaking-down outfielder” trying to save his job by lobbying for the Sox to trade a young prospect and added that if a trade isn’t made, clubhouse chemistry could be damaged.

Victorino, who played in just 30 games last season and had postseason back surgery, was named the team’s starting right fielder by manager John Farrell early in camp. But he has experienced soreness in his legs and has backed off a bit, with Farrell saying he’s “a little bit guarded at times.”

Victorino, who five days ago abandoned his bid to return to switch-hitting and is now just batting from the right side, is 4-for-19 in eight games.

He said he’s concentrating solely on himself -- not on anybody else.

“It’s about continuing to go out there, continuing to be the best player I can be,” Victorino said. “As I said from Day One, I’ve got to be healthy. Hey, that’s before I worry about anything else. It’s about me proving I can be healthy, that I can play every day, and that’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on the competition or what people are saying.”

Throughout spring training, Victorino has lavished praise on Betts -- long before Betts put together a hitting show that has pushed his average to .471, with six doubles, two triples and one home run in 11 games.

And going back to last season, Victorino even compared Betts to 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen.

Victorino reiterated Thursday that he is most impressed with Betts’ willingness to learn.

“I pay attention to that side of the game because that’s the side of the game I had to learn,” Victorino said. “I was never a guy who was at the forefront of a team or I was never that guy. To do the little things, to want to learn to be better every single year, that’s the kind of stuff that struck me with Mookie from Day One.

“My first rehab start [last year at Triple-A Pawtucket], 20 minutes before the game, I’m going out to do my stretching. I never really talked to the kid. He came up to me and said, ‘I know you’re getting prepared for the game, but can I ask you about this this and this?’ I said to myself, ‘This kid is where he is at and is only going to get better and continue to climb that ladder because of that.’ And he’s not saying, ‘Hey, I know it all’ or ‘I’m too good’ or ‘I’m this big prospect’ or ‘I’m a 23-year-old-kid’ or ‘I’m getting my chance at such a young age and I don’t need to learn.’

“Watching him do what he does is exciting. It’s fun. And that converts into Andrew McCutchen. It was weird watching him hit for the first time, and I said, ‘Man, this is almost identical to what Andrew McCutchen is.’ His body language, the way he swung the bat, the way he played the game. ... Fast forward a few months now to spring training, and the guy is still asking questions, still wanting to learn. That’s the part for me where he separates himself from a lot of other prospects.”

Farrell said he’s aware of the comments but added, “It’s really in my mind not a story. There are going to be things said outside of our camp that really have no bearing to what we’re trying to accomplish here and the things we have to do to make necessary decisions and be prepared for Opening Day. There are no issues between he and Mookie or Shane and anybody on our team.”

Victorino said his experience in Philadelphia with the media has given him perspective to deal with this latest firestorm.

But he still has a message for Felger and Massarotti: “Show your face so at least I can discuss it with you.”

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