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Bobby Valentine introduces Aceves-ology to Harvard curriculum 09.13.12 at 12:09 am ET
By Alex Speier

Alfredo Aceves engaged in a puzzling departure from the mound on Wednesday (AP)

The moment was highly unusual.

Alfredo Aceves had permitted two runs in the top of the seventh inning, as Derek Jeter grounded a single to right as a prelude to a mammoth home run by Curtis Granderson (previously 0-for-10 with six strikeouts against the Sox reliever) that spread the game out and put the Sox in a 5-1 hole. Aceves rebounded to retire the next two batters, but when he gave up a ringing double to center by Nick Swisher with two outs, manager Bobby Valentine exited the dugout to pull Aceves in favor of Chris Carpenter.

The normal process for an exchange is familiar: The pitcher hands the ball to the manager, gets a pat on the back and proceeds to the dugout. Not this time.

Aceves had given the ball to a teammate. When Valentine received it near the rubber, the right-hander stood a few feet from his manager on the back of the mound. Instead of passing Valentine on his way back to the dugout, Aceves — after a few moments in which the two stood at an awkward distance — turned around and walked off the back of the mound, took a wide right turn around all of his teammates on the mound and headed for the dugout without ever passing by Valentine.

“I was there. I was standing up. I didn’t have the baseball with me, so what am I going to do? I’m going to go away from the field. What am I going to do?” Aceves said when asked about his exit route. The right-hander — who was suspended in late-August by Valentine after he tore off his uniform on the field, and upon his reinstatement, was used four times in five days while logging 143 pitches — insisted that he was “not upset” when leaving the game.

“I got a bad day,” said Aceves. “Like I say, tomorrow is a new day.”

Asked if he had any issue with Valentine, Aceves insisted that was not the case.

“No. No. I’m good, yes, thank you. I’m good,” said Aceves. “Ask him if he’s good. I don’t know.”

Valentine was initially circumspect when asked about his pitcher’s unusual path to the egress.

“I got the ball. He didn’t give it to me. I’m not going to address that subject,” Valentine said.

When asked if Aceves “showed him up” with his actions,

“I’ll have to look at it,” he said before pausing. “And who cares if he showed me up? If I have to explain Aceves’s actions, I’ll wind up going across the river and work for Harvard.”

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  • Tchuyoyo

    Doesn’t matter what any of you think of Valentine. He may not be the right fit for this team, but he has the job right now. When the manager comes to the mound, the pitcher hands him the ball. That’s how it works. A player cannot spit in the face of baseball decorum like Aceves is doing. Refuse to give the manager the ball and pass it to the catcher to give to the manager. What is Aceves – like 6 years old? Then he backs away from the mound and takes a path to the dugout that is clearly shunning his manager. This is a fricking embarrassment on the mound on national TV.This team needs no more unncessary drama this season. John Henry needs to suspend Aceves for the rest of the season and bar him from any contact with the team or the facilities. What a jerk-off. He’s making Carlos Zambrano look like Ghandi.

  • Anonymous

     +100000 couldnt state it any better or clearer!

  • glenn88

    This is a rediculous mock pick.   More young guys in the secondary doesn’t help the situation.  You need a proven veteran #1 corner in the line up to allow young players to develop around them.  Have to believe Bill realized this after the before and after Talib example.

    Early for mock drafts, but this might be the year the Pats draft a top receiver who is both big and fast.  If not, wouldn’t surprise me if Bill drafts the best interior lineman available as you can usually get the top 1-2 center or guard this late in the first round.  Any high pick on a lineman has been a sure thing for NE.     

  • Jim Keddy

    The reason that the choice of a cornerback is rediculous is that the Patriots haven’t
    been able to coach up a young defensive back since the departure of Eric Mangini.

  • Big

    Eric Reid out of LSU….. Thats who we should draft

  • Chuckchamp

    He won’t take a DB in the 1rst rd. BB will however look for a OT/OG like Jonathan Cooper. For those clamouring for a WR,DB,RB you can wait until hell freezes over. The only other option for BB is DL.

  • RDee

    Unless someone special falls in the draft I think BB wil trade out for extra picks. They have a few middle round picks missing from past acquisitions. At 29, the pick is a crap shoot. You may see a team looking for a QB overpay for the 29th pick. BB will be more than willing to listen. 

  • Icebe23

    What’s ridiculous is the spelling on here. The fact is no one knows what BB will do, he’s unpredictable in his drafts, but he needs to address his secondary and quick.

  • Ndfball05

    Tavon Austin out of WVA!!!  Brady will make him unreal and if the vets rub off on this kid he could be something special!!!  very explosive player!!!

  • big93mike

    The Pats will trade the pick for a future first rounder or more picks later in the draft. They need to somehow get higher up on the board in the first round. They can do that by getting some team to reach for a QB in the late first round. This draft is not that deep in first round talent. Next year there will be some big time reciever talent like Sammie Watkins and Marquis Lee. If the Pats can somehow land a game changer like that by waiting until next year I would be worth it. Choosing another late first round corner will just be a bust again.

  • Dano S

    Pats Predictions 15.0 1st round-trade for 2nd and 4th rounder.2nd Round trade for 3rd and 4th round.
    2 Datone Jones DE UCLA 3 Jordon Poyer CB Oregon St. 3 Sean Porter OLB Texas A&M
    4 Braden Hansen G BYU 5 Jordan Mills OT Louisiana Tech 7 Damion Square DT Alabama
    7 Braxton Cave C Notre Dame.

    Free Agents Wes Welker, Sean Smith CB,Israel Idonije DT, Greg Jennings WR and Glover Quin S.

  • Anonymous

    I’m thinking the Pats trade out of this spot for a package of 2nd and 3rd picks.

  • FireGuyFrank

    I see the Pats looking at free agents to help the secondary.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade the #29 pick to get more picks in rounds 2 and 3, or package picks to move UP and grab someone to help on offense.

  • Cousin Joey P.

    HA HA! You want the Patriots to draft a Guard or Center in the first round? First of all, it’s a rarity ANY teams draft a Guard or Center in the fisrt round. Guards and Centers are generally players not good enough to play Tackle. Secondly, that’s not a NEED on this team. Did you watch any games? The Safeties are hideous…the Corners aren’t much better. Not only should they draft corners and safeties, they should re-sign Talib too. Without improvement in the secondary they aren’t going anywhere.

  • glenn88

    Cousin Joey,  Mankins was a late first round pick!!   And yes, guards and centers are drafted all the time in the late first round and you are more likely to get a future pro-bowler in the late first round at these positions.  Pitt took DeCastro last year who will probably be a pro bowler. 
    If you actually studied the Pats draft history you would realize this a BB scenario.  If he thinks he has a pro -bowl guard at #29, to line up opposite Mankins,  he will pull the trigger and not think twice.  He would do this before he reaches at a position of “need”.    

    The idea guards and centers are not good enough to be tackles is wrong and stupid.  They are different positions with different required skills.    NFL Guards and Centers are built to pull and leverage DTs and their smaller height doesn’t interfere with passing lanes.  You don’t want two 6-8 guards in the interior clogging running lanes and getting in the way of your QBs line of sight!    

  • Uncle Vic

    Mankins is the most overrated player in the NFL.  They ran the ball better (look it up) with Donald Thomas at left guard.  Totally agree with Cousin Joey here, if they can get a CB and WR who slides late into the first round that would be preferred, otherwise trade out for additional picks. 

  • Brian

    1. You don’t only focus on a player’s rookie year value when you make a pick.
    2. All “young guys” aren’t created equal.
    3. Corners get injured all the time, the Patriots play in the sub more than the base.  You need depth, guys get hurt, it’s football.
    4.  You talk about how difficult it is to develop a rookie in the defensive backfield, yet call for them to draft a receiver?  The Patriots haven’t developed a viable receiver since Branch and Givens, and they entered a Patriots offense with very little depth at the position.  How much can you “develop” a receiver in this offense?  I’ve seen time and time again Brady just flat out give up on guys who struggle initially, veterans included.  The offense operates at an absurdly efficient rate, the bust factor of drafting a WR is always huge, but in THIS offense it’s tougher for a rookie to break through than any other offense in the NFL.

  • unbelievable

    WR IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE MOST OVER-RATED POSITION TO DRAFT!!!! I’d prefer to draft a kicker, which shows how much I value first round receivers…of course, I’m not in the front office of any pro sports team (and neither are you future commentor), so what do I know..

  • Cousin Joey P.

    No kidding….I ddin’t say they were NEVER drafted in the first round, but it’s not all the time and they have to be pretty damn good to go inthe first round. Btw…Why will DeCastro be a pro bowler? What makes you so sure of that? Guards are a dime a dozen. That team was just as good with Donald Thomas playing Guard…..To say the Patriots should draft a Guard is ridiculous. They have 7 needs before Guard.

  • Bhdyer20

    Except he has drafted all of those positions high in the draft before, WR he has drafted in the 2nd round, RB in the first, CB in the first so don’t know why you are saying wait for hell to freeze over.

  • Grygor_c

     Start figuring out how to get Johnny Manziel down the road…..in 2015?

  • Dano S

    Pats Predictions 20.0
    I agree Manziel is going to be great. Draft 1 trade for 2 and 5. 2 Trade for 3 and 5.
    2 Alex Okafor DE Texas 3 Logan Ryan CB Rutgers 3 Xavier Nixon OT Florida 4 Brandon Williams NT
    Missouri Southern 5 Brian Winters OL Kent State 7 Spencer Ware RB LSU 7 Prentiss Waggner S Tennessee.

    Free Agents Wes Welker, Josh Cribbs WR, Sam Baker OT, Connor Barwin DE/OLB
    Daryl Tapp DE and Sean Smith CB.

  • Grygor_c

    ok your the GM, it’s 2015….you give up all your draft picks for the #1 pick in the NFL. you pick Manziel then go on TV like Ditka did, with the dreadlock wig… and state I’m goin fishin”. Would you do the swap???? I would.

  • Dano S

    Yes as long as he is healthy that is definetly worth doing.
    Enjoy the Draft. Dano S

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001124794700 Evan Dean

    my opinion is pats leave wr and derensive backfield to free agency and go oline or dtackle first couple rounds

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