Farrell talks player-press relations
John Farrell had a conversation with David Price yesterday about the pitcher’s profanity-laced tirade directed at a Red Sox reporter Wednesday night in New York.
The Red Sox manager did not divulge specifics of the talk with Price, but a discussion about it quickly swerved into the issue of media accountability in this day and age where social media dominates.
“Going back to what I said yesterday in New York, we would expect all of our players to have a respect for your job and the way people go about it,” said Farrell. “We recognize there’s a responsibility by all our guys to address the media so I think the fact that there’s the intent to have mutual respect in all ways, that’s the goal. But the content of the meeting will stay internal.”
Price is in his 10th big-league season, so it’s a safe bet that he already was aware of his responsibility to address the media with respect. Asked if Price had any further reflection about the incident, Farrell said, “There was a disagreement between he and another reporter. While that was attempted to be cleared, there’s also, I think, on both ends of it, a professional approach that’s got to be handled in such a way.”
That idea of professionalism being a two-way street was the thrust of much of the rest of Farrell’s comments. He did not attempt to judge how Price handled the exchange between Price and Evan Drellich of CSN New England. Instead, he emphasized how the media bears responsibility for being accountable for what they write, especially what they tweet, and that the media has fallen short of that standard at times.
“I’m not painting all with a broad brush,” said Farrell. “There are examples in all facets of this, and that’s why it’s a medium of unaccountability. It can be done in a great way for many great causes. There are many great causes. But it’s also just an opportunity for people to make comments with no ramification or accountability.”
He agreed that social media has altered the landscape, and not always in a good way, when it comes to almost every interaction in sports and elsewhere.
“I wouldn’t say it’s just player-reporter. We’ve gone through a revolution in society, and Twitter is a main driver to it,” said Farrell. “Personally, I’m not on Twitter, nor would I care to be. So much is made about a player having accountability and standing up and answering questions after a game. That’s a twoway street. When tweets are sent out by whomever, there’s absolutely no accountability in many, many cases. I’m not saying a broad brush, but that’s where a lot of exception is taken. When comments are made to a mass audience without any accountability, that’s what Twitter has done for us.”