OFF THE HOOK
Shoppach takes fall for Boston’s text mutiny
BOSTON RED SOX first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was not the author of the now-infamous text message to Boston ownership complaining about manager Bobby Valentine, although it was sent from his cell phone, major league sources told the Daily News.
Those sources also said new Mets catcher Kelly Shoppach was deeply involved in writing the message that touched off the latest Sox drama, but Shoppach would not confirm that charge.
A small group of players that has been unhappy with Valentine this season — a group that included Shoppach, according to a source familiar with the circumstances — was complaining about the manager in late July and engaged Gonzalez in the conversation. A member of the group suggested that the only way to bring about action would be to voice their problems to ownership. Gonzalez was tired of hearing the constant grumbling and agreed with them that a message from him — the team’s highest-paid player — would get management’s attention.
Several sources say Gonzalez had nothing to do with the message’s content, which — according to a report this past week on Yahoo! Sports — indicated the team was unhappy that Valentine had left ace Jon Lester in a game to give up 11 runs against Toronto on July 22. “The text message was not his idea or his opinion . . . or his words,” one said. Those were from the small group of players that included Shoppach.
Asked about the authoring of the text message following Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium, Gonzalez said, “I know why you’re asking, but we’re not going to talk about that anymore.”
On Saturday at Nationals Park, Shoppach denied any involvement in sending the text message, insisting, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But on Tuesday when the Yahoo! report was published, Shoppach was asked about it and said of the Red Sox organization, “Let me be very careful. I think, and maybe this is as far as I’ll go with it, too, there is a disconnect in communication between the players through the upper management.” On July 26, ownership came to New York and had meetings with players and with Valentine, though separately, as first reported by Yahoo!. Since then, Boston owner John Henry as well as Dustin Pedroia and Gonzalez have voiced support for
Valentine. The waiver trade of Shoppach to the Mets was completed Tuesday.
Boston was reportedly trying to deal the catcher during the last week of July — before the non-waiver trade deadline — but did not like the return it was offered. Shoppach’s departure paved the way for Boston to promote catching prospect Ryan Lavarnway, who went 0-for-4 in Boston’s 4-1 win over the Yankees Saturday at the Stadium.
“Players felt responsible for the record. They weren’t blaming injuries or anyone but themselves,” Henry said in an email to Boston media outlets this week. “At the same time they openly spoke about what could improve in addition to their play. They made substantive points. We addressed those points. No one in that meeting at any time took the position that Bobby should be or needed to be replaced.”
It’s possible that one of the points made had to do with Shoppach, who was feuding with Valentine throughout the season. In May, when starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was off to a great start, Valentine made public that Shoppach had complained about playing time.
“All I know is that Adrian didn’t do what people are saying he did,” one Red Sox player said. “He’s not like that. He’s a good team guy. He’s the kind of guy who would even cover for someone who did something wrong. He’d take a bullet.”
“The situation in that report is resolved and over,” Saltalamacchia said Thursday in Baltimore. “Our team has moved on.”
Shoppach bristled at the notion he was involved. “I have no influence on what they’re doing with upper management,” he said Saturday. “I am a backup catcher doing my job. It is my responsibility to do my job. That’s it: a guy on a one-year contract who is just happy to have a job around a bunch of talented guys like they have there.” He, too, sounds like he’s moved on. “I don’t know that anybody is saying anything, and to be honest, I don’t care. I don’t play for them,” Shoppach said. “I play for the Mets. My responsibility is here. Nothing I did yesterday does anything for today, and that’s going to be my stance for the rest of my life. ‘What am I going to do today? Yesterday’s gone. It ain’t gonna do (----) for me today.’ That’s my philosophy on life.”
Mets sources said they were unaware of Shoppach’s alleged involvement when they acquired him.