Wakefield: Eck-Price flap must be ‘put to bed’

Red Sox Hall of Famer and current NESN analyst Tim Wakefield said it’s time for the spat between David Price and Dennis Eckersley to be “put to bed” and suggested the two should have a man-to-man conversation before the situation impedes the club’s pennant push.

“It’s a bunch of bull crap,” Wakefield said. “It needs to be put to bed because it can become a huge distraction and it already has been for the team. It’s something you don’t want lingering over your club when you’re trying to get to the World Series.”

Eckersley and Price have been at the center of an ongoing kerfuffle since Price confronted the Hall of Fame pitcher — who is also a NESN analyst — before a June 29 flight from Boston to Toronto and reportedly mocked and cursed at Eckersley over perceived on-air criticism of Eduardo Rodriguez on a NESN telecast.

Price has said he will “talk it out” with Eckersley the next time he sees him and Wakefield said that conversation is long overdue. Eckersley said this week he has moved on and does not need to speak with Price.

He addressed the issue again at the top of last night’s telecast, saying “It’s brutal, really, because it’s a very unfortunate set of circumstances. But I think everybody wants to move on.” He added that he appreciates the fans’ support, and just wants to focus on the team’s efforts to win.

“I think David is handling it the correct way now,”Wakefield said. “He said publicly he is going to have a conversation with Eckersley, which should have happened beforehand. Whether or not these two agree with each other, I think it needs to be squashed and put to rest, just get it over with.”

Wakefield added, “even David Price admitted he shouldn’t have handled it the way it it was handled, but he’s trying to be a voice for the team, I get it.”

Asked whether he believes Eckersley is overly harsh, Wakefield said his fellow analyst is “critical, but in a good way.”

“I think he states the truth, I don’t think he’s personally critical against you as a player,” he said. “I’m on that side too and one thing I promise myself is ‘ don’t forget how hard the game is.’ And I’m not saying Eck forgot how hard the game is, he’s a Hall of Famer, he knows how hard the game is.”

Wakefield pointed to Eckersley’s well-documented struggles with divorce, alcoholism, as well as the challenges of putting together a career that ultimately landed the pitcher in Cooperstown. He said he isn’t sure whether Eckersley is comfortable being in the Red Sox clubhouse on a regular basis, as Price suggested he should be.

“I am comfortable being in there because I played here for such a long period of time,” Wakefield said, noting he works with current players as a “mentor” during spring training. “If that’s Price’s opinion, that’s Price’s opinion.”

Wakefield said NESN has never told him not to be critical of the team or to tone down any negative on-air observations of their play, but said each of the former players-turnedbroadcasters has a unique style.

“My personality is different than Steve Lyons, different than Eck, different than (Jim) Rice,” he said. “We all have our own way of talking about the game.”