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NICK CAFARDO | ON BASEBALL

Some fans may turn on Dustin Pedroia, but teammates won’t

“We’re going to play baseball and do what we do,” said Dustin Pedroia. “That’s the end of the story.”john tlumacki/globe staff file

The “outside” world, as Dustin Pedroia put it, will have its opinions as to whether his dugout talk with Manny Machado Sunday (“That wasn’t me!”) and his subsequent comment that the Red Sox “mishandled” the situation when Matt Barnes threw a pitch at Machado’s head, feels like treason.

Oh yes, there was a discussion about it in the Red Sox clubhouse Tuesday. The air was cleared, the team mantra of togetherness was promoted. Whether there will be leftovers from it remains to be seen when the Orioles come to town Monday.

The e-mails to this reporter have been vicious toward Pedroia, who would have returned from his two-day hiatus Tuesday night had the game against the Yankees not been rained out. This despite the fact that he has been one of the greatest players in franchise history, a model of honesty and dignity throughout his tenure.

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That cachet has earned him Teflon status with his teammates, but apparently not with a segment of the fan base.

In the clubhouse, anything he says or does is accepted because, as one player said, “He said it. If he says something, there’s a reason he says it. He’s earned the right to say what he feels.”

He said it because Barnes handled the situation wrongly. How do you defend the indefensible unless you lie? If someone else on the team had reacted the way Pedroia did, I agree it wouldn’t have gone over well, and that player might be in big trouble with his teammates.

But if David Ortiz, for instance, had done that, he would have received the same public backlash, but it wouldn’t have come from his teammates. He had cachet. Pedro Martinez had it, too.

If you don’t understand that, then you just don’t understand how Pedroia is thought of by his teammates. And for Pedroia, that’s all that’s important. If you don’t like a guy who plays 100 m.p.h. and leaves it all out on the field, if you don’t like your athletes to be honest, then keep ripping away.

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Didn’t back his teammate? Name one player who has backed his teammates more than Pedroia and you’d be wrong.

Pedroia acknowledged that there was a discussion about his comments, which weren’t flattering to either Barnes or manager John Farrell.

“We all talked about that and we’re going to keep that in-house,” Pedroia said. “We feel good about each other and we all have each other’s backs. Everybody knows about how everybody feels about each other, and we’re pretty excited about the group we have.”

Regarding the chatter about him from the outside, he said, “It’s unfortunate the outside has an opinion, but they’re going to have an opinion about everything. We all know how we feel.

“We’re moving on and getting ready for this series and then the Cubs and the Orioles. We have a tough stretch and we’re focusing on turning the page.”

He also took the high road with Baltimore reliever Zach Britton, who should do some reflection of his own after condemning Pedroia as a team leader “who can’t control his own teammates.”

“I don’t know Zach,” Pedroia said. “I haven’t played with him, and if I did play with him, I don’t know if what he said would be different.

“He’s the best closer in the game. His comments were said after an emotional game. He was excited about the situation. I don’t want to think negatively on him at all. I like to look at both sides before make any judgments on anything.”

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On the possibility of residual effects from the events of last weekend, Pedroia said, “From our side, we’re going to play baseball and do what we do. That’s it. Nobody wants anyone to get hurt or anything like that. That’s the end of the story. We’re trying to play baseball and win games.”

As for being shown on TV calling out to Machado, he said, “I wish the cameras that showed me were as good as the instant replays. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Video: Pedroia/Machado exchange

He did not offer an opinion on Barnes’s four-game suspension.

“It’s not my decision,” Pedroia said. “The league rules on things like that. It’s over. Turn the page.

“I understand that we don’t play today and you guys need something to talk about. We’re turning the page and I’m sure the Orioles are, too. We’re trying to get back to our job and I’m sure the Orioles are, too.”

Both Barnes and Farrell backed Pedroia.

“Everybody in this clubhouse has one another’s back,” Barnes said. “It’s a strong unit in there. I’ve got his back, he’s got mine. I’ve got 24 other guys in this clubhouse, we’re all sticking together.

“We’re a unit, going to war together every day. Get back out there tomorrow and try to win a series against the Yankees and go from there.”

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Asked if there were any confusion about Pedroia’s words, he said, “Absolutely not. Dustin’s a great teammate.”

And if Farrell was perceived by anyone to be in Pedroia’s crosshairs, the manager laid that to rest as well.

“No, I didn’t feel any rift in the clubhouse as a result of what transpired,” said Farrell. “Any conversation that might have been needed was had and we’re on to this series. What’s done is done.

“The thing I will say is whether we’re challenged by performance, injuries, and what takes place between the lines, we’re very confident this is a team that has its back and we handle it as a team.”

In the end, there were no apologies coming from Pedroia. He said what he said because he understands how the game should be played. He spoke out against the way the game shouldn’t be played.

We want players to be honest, but we attack them when they are.

Keep being honest and passionate, Dustin. That’s who you are.


Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickcafardo.