Dombrowski: ‘Comfortable' with the way Red Sox handled Price-Eckersley spat

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he's comfortable with the way the organization has handled the confrontation between David Price and Dennis Eckersley.

"In our situation, we've dealt with the issue behind the scenes. It's really been a month ago now at this point that the issue took place on the plane. We've had meetings on it. I've dealt with it. People in uniform have dealt with it," Dombrowski told WEEI on the "Ordway, Merloni and Fauria" show Thursday afternoon. "I know it continues to take on a life of its own...but it's been dealt with from our situation, so we'll just leave it at that."

Eckersley received a standing ovation from the fans at Fenway Park when he was introduced from the Legends Suite at the Red Sox game Tuesday night. He told the Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy that he didn't want to meet with Price to smooth over a confrontation centered on Price taking exception to the Hall of Fame pitcher and NESN broadcaster's on-air commentary that Price deemed critical of Price and his teammates. 

"I feel comfortable with where we've dealt with it," Dombrowski said. "David and Dennis I think that they've reached out to one another and both of them have said they've put it behind them and we're moving forward.

"Sometimes things that are handled in the clubhouse stay in the clubhouse and that's just the way it is."

Dombrowski said these kinds of disagreements are nothing new. It's just that this one, which occurred on a team flight to Toronto June 30, became public.  Price last week criticized Eckersley for not being around the clubhouse to be accountable for criticism. 

"I've seen a lot of confrontations between individuals in the media and players, sometimes privately, sometimes publicly," Dombrowski said. "I think even Dennis has said that's his style of broadcasting. One reason that he doesn't feel he wants to be around [the clubhouse] at times is that's how he feels he needs to present himself and that's just the way it is at times. 

"I would never endorse a confrontation between two individuals that's not one-on-one. That's how I believe things should be handled. I have seen many, many times where things haven't taken place like that and you'd never like to see that happen. "

Dombrowski said that in his nearly 40 years in baseball, he's seen plenty of players take exception to broadcasters' comments.

"I've seen confrontations between players and broadcasters, some very famous broadcasters," he said. "It's a situation where broadcasters are doing their job and people are aware of it in that perspective but it doesn't mean it's always well-received."

Has the incident, in which Price said he was sticking up for his teammates, brought the team closer together?

"Our clubhouse seems like it's a close-knit group," Dombrowski said. "I can't say if this has affected it one way or another personally because I'm not around in that type of situation [in the clubhouse]." 

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