Francona, the former Red Sox manager and current ESPN analyst, called Valentine's decision to ban beer in the clubhouse "a PR move" during a radio interview on Monday morning, saying the players will still be allowed to drink beer as long as they keep it quiet.
A former ESPN analyst, Valentine quashed Francona's claim about the regulation that he instituted Saturday.
"How was it PR?" Valentine said. "It means like 20 teams are looking for PR and that's why they're making good decisions. … Remember, you're getting paid over there for saying stuff, you get paid over here for doing stuff. I've done both."
Valentine's decree isn’t anything new. As the manager of the Mets, Valentine prohibited players from bringing alcohol into the clubhouse.
Despite Valentine's ruling, the discussion over last season's clubhouse shenanigans continues to resurface. In an interview with WEEI.com, Josh Beckett — who was implicated for drinking beer during games -– expressed frustration over "snitching."
"The snitching [expletive], that's [expletive]," Beckett said. "It's not good."
When asked about Beckett's comments, Valentine downplayed his concern over division or distrust within the team.
"You work through things and time is a great healer, but it's not the only healer," Valentine said. "If someone was burned in there, it's going to take some time for the sting to leave and it's probably going to take some actions.
"Saying 'forget it' is like saying 'relax.' Those words mean nothing. It takes breathing and confidence and all of those wonderful things to relax and it takes time and possibly a time's apologies."
For now, Valentine won't address the issue with players. But the manager said if the situation festers once he's trimmed the club down, then he would consider organizing a meeting.
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