FORT MYERS, Fla.Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has not been shy in his comments about manager Bobby Valentine.
On ESPN Radio Schilling recently said Valentine and the Sox were an oil-and-water mix.
This is 100 percent my opinion based on having been down this path before with different people, Schilling recently said on WEEI. I just dont think this is the right fit.
I dont believe he was the right guy to hire, Schilling went on to say. Im not doing the hiring. So, it doesnt matter. But Im giving opinion.
Schilling has also been critical of how Daniel Bards transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation was handled. Bard was named to the rotation on Sunday, as the Sox No. 5 starter. He made six Grapefruit League appearances, including five starts, with an appearance in a B game on March 1. Bard led the staff this spring in innings pitched, with 24 23, and strikeouts, with 18.
Those are just a few of Schillings recent comments. Asked after Mondays Grapefruit League finale, a 4-2 win over the Nationals, about Schillings comments, Valentine replied:
I just consider the source.
The Red Sox finished the spring season with a record of 15-11-4. Valentine said he was happy with how the spring -- his first as a major league manager since 2002 with the Mets -- progressed.
I didnt think Id last this long so its kind of a pleasant surprise for me, Valentine joked. It was great. Me personally, I enjoyed it. We played the way I thought we would. Got a lot of work done. So, Im ready to leave Florida, and I think the guys are too.
The Sox left immediately after Monday's game for Tuesday's exhibition against the Nationals in Washington, D.C.