Beckett tells Valentine his slow pitching was to gain 'competitive edge against the Yankees'-Ken Davidoff

1/20/12, Ken Davidoff, Bobby Valentine addressed the World Baseball Coaches Convention at Mohegan Sun Friday night: "In virtually non-stop travel mode since his hiring in early December, Valentine has either met or spoken with all of Boston's key players. He addressed the concerns of pitcher Josh Beckett, who didn't like being criticized by then-ESPN commentator Valentine during a game against the Yankees. "He told me that he used a slower motion as a competitive edge against the Yankees,'' Valentine said of Beckett.

He described himself as "pleasantly surprised'' by his meeting with Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been publicly portrayed as unhappy despite putting up an excellent season.

"If anything was bothering him last year,'' Valentine said of Ellsbury, "I want to find what it is and bother him again this year.''

Valentine said he thinks leftfielder Carl Crawford, who recently had surgery to repair his injured left wrist, will be ready for the start of the regular season.""

• 1/20/12, "Bobby V inspired by Yanks' rotation," Newsday, Ken Davidoff, Montville, Ct.

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