The talk in the Red Sox clubhouse prior to Tuesday’s game revolved around Buster Olney’s piece on ESPN.com that described it as a “toxic’’ environment.
Ortiz was quick to rebut Olney’s report.
“It’s not like that, dog,’’ said Ortiz, who hit a two-run homer off Mark Buehrle in the first inning in the 7-5 win over the Marlins. “We all get along here. There’s not one guy here that has a problem with the other.
“We got a bus that we all have to [ride] and you should see that bus when we’re riding on it. If there’s anything ‘toxic’ between the players, I couldn’t really tell you, because I’m a guy in control of this [clubhouse], so he’s wrong when it comes down to that, I can tell you that.
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“In this clubhouse right here, there’s not one guy who is not going at it - not one. There used to be, but not anymore. There used to be a lot of confusion, going on back and forth about different things, different subjects. That ain’t happening now.
“Everybody’s on the same page right now. We’re just waiting for the guys with injuries to come back so our team can get in the beast mode, and that’s about it.’’
Asked for his reaction to the report, manager Bobby Valentine said, “I don’t know how to define ‘toxic.’ It’s too big a word for me. I don’t even comment on people’s articles. I don’t even comment on your articles. Why would I comment on someone that I don’t think knows anything?
“You guys are here every day.’’
Josh Beckett offered his summation: “Completely fabricated.’’
Beckett, who spoke to the media for the first time since going on the disabled list over the weekend with shoulder inflammation, added, “I don’t know where people get that from. I think people want that to be the case, and I just don’t think it is. I think there are certain people, they want it to be that way, so they report it that way.’’
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Beckett said this is “one of the tightest-knit groups’’ he has ever been a part of, pointing to team dinners and family trips as an example.
Said Ortiz, “Players, when they walk into this clubhouse, they look around and they want to adjust themselves to what is going on here. So that’s how things are in this clubhouse. And, trust me, if you need to figure it out, somebody will let you know.’’