Kuzul

Boston Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine hasn’t been right about a lot of things since he arrived at his new gig, but he’s spot with his latest comments. 

Things heated up in Boston Friday night after Red Sox reliever Franklin Morales pegged Luke Scott late in a 7-4 Tampa Bay Rays win, evoking a bench-clearing altercation that showcased an unusual amount of hostility from coaches on either side. 

After Rays manager Joe Maddon had some interesting comments about Valentine’s supposed decision to plunk Scott late in the game, Valentine fired back Saturday about the way Maddon’s coaching staff conducted themselves during the scrum.

“They seemed immature, out of control. Coaches are supposed to stop this from happening and their coaches were aggressive, agitating and instigating.” (via the Boston Herald)

Valentine could not be more right. 

Instructing your pitchers to throw at a batter happens. Instigating a bench-clearing situation that could put dozens of players in danger of injuries and suspensions has no place in America’s past time. 

I understand that boys will be boys and situations like these are inevitable. But coaches shouldn’t stoop to their level and get fired up during telling moments like this. 

It’s not obvious by any means that Valentine instructed Morales to do so, and I don’t agree with intentionally hitting batters. But he’s a coach, and his job is to put his team in the best position to succeed.

With their chances of scoring three runs in the game’s final inning very slim, sending a message to help motivate and inspire your team isn’t a dying strategy. The Red Sox have certainly lacked intensity this season, so engaging in some trash talk could help to fuel their hunger moving forward in the series (and beyond). 

Valentine can be seen during the bench-clearing fiasco talking down Scott, easily the most heated player on the field after being pitched at multiple times. 

Need I mention that the Rays hit Red Sox golden boy Dustin Pedroia earlier in the game? Whether it was intentional or not, payback is not uncommon in the MLB. 

Meanwhile, Rays coaches can be seen fired up and apparently ready to help make the situation a bit uglier. Coaches are to be held at a higher standard than players, which is why they’re rarely at the forefront of scrums such as these.

One thing is certain: Saturday night’s rematch should be interesting. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After the way last season ended, it’s hard not to put “Boston Red Sox” and “disappointing” in the same sentence. 

Although, after one of the most historic collapses in baseball history at the end of the 2011 regular season, Red Sox Nation has plenty to be excited about with one of the most potent offenses in the majors and capable pitching.

There will be numerous players who carry the Red Sox to victories day in and day out, but there will inevitably also be players who don’t meet the expectations that have been set. 

Some players bound for disappointment have been around the organization for what feels like forever, and will simply run out of efficiency while the up-and-coming players trump them in every statistical category. 

Other Beantown ballplayers will crumble to the pressure of having an increased role, or simply don’t have what it takes to compete at the level they will be put in.  

Let’s take a look at some players who could leave Boston fans scratching their heads in 2012.

Begin Slideshow