Josh Beckett has a career 4.06 ERA with the Red Sox. (AP)

Josh Beckett is scheduled to start for the Red Sox on Thursday night. If Bobby Valentine, Ben Cherington, Larry Lucchino and John Henry are half as serious as about changing the culture of the clubhouse as they told us they were all offseason, they won’t let Beckett get past the security guards at the player entrance at Fenway Park.

Beckett – according to several reports, and confirmed by several others –played golf with Clay Buchholz last Thursday. By itself who cares, right? Guys play golf on their off days, even if they have been the worst pitcher in baseball over the first month of the season (which Buchholz has absolutely been). We get it. But here’s where it gets juicy: This quick 18 holes was played exactly one day after Beckett was scratched from a scheduled start with a pulled lat.

It’s almost breathtaking arrogance, isn’t it? Either that or incomprehensible stupidity. Probably it’s both. But that’s Beckett all the way, a guy who wants to be seen as an ace, has been treated as an ace (by media and the organization) but hasn’t acted or pitched like an ace for five years. As entitled as it gets, fat and happy from years of enabling from an organization that needs to, but will not, respond to another middle finger from a guy making $17 million this year (and the next two). He was the face (or chins, I suppose) of the historic collapse last season, and evidently learned nothing from the experience and fallout.

Because this is worse than beer and chicken. Why? Well, it happened after it – which again suggests that he didn’t think he did anything wrong last September – and it makes a very strong case that Beckett cares more about golfing than he does about pitching and winning. We already knew baseball wasn’t his top priority — he told Rob Bradford that last in spring training — but who knew what he cared about most was those shiny new hybrids. And maybe the only reason Beckett’s put on 40 pounds over the last 12 months was to justify the couple of hundred bucks he spent on that sweet belly putter.

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Bobby Valentine. (AP)

Bobby Valentine was a guest of The Big Show on Wednesday afternoon. Here are his comments regarding reports that Josh Beckett played golf last Thursday, just one day after it was announced he would miss a start with a sore latissimus muscle.

“I don’t know that I’m aware of it. I’m aware of the story being out there,” Valentine said when asked if he heard or read the reports. “I haven’t gotten to Josh about that yet. I’m trying to sort out my feelings. Golf is as much a part of the pitching culture as the curveball, I know that for sure. You know, when we decided for Josh not to make his start, it wasn’t that he was injured. It was just a precautionary situation. His lat was a little tight. Again, I don’t know the specifics of this situation. I don’t know if he was out in a charity match and just putting or if he was wailing away or if he felt that might have loosened him up. I have no idea what the situation actually is so it’s hard for me to comment on it.”

Valentine was asked what his reaction would be if he learned that Beckett did indeed play golf last Thursday.

“If that was the case, I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off,” Valentine said.

The manager was then asked if he’s ever felt the need to tell a player what he should or shouldn’t do when injured or on the disabled list.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that conversation with anyone who has any stripes on their shoulder,” Valentine said. “A young guy who might be feeling his way through a disabled situation or an injury situation, sometimes you have to tell them to get to the park early so that he gets the treatment early before the other guys get there and it doesn’t interfere with the routine of guys who might be playing or you might advise guys of the right thing to do or what might have happened in the past that you experience that could be incorrect. I think you go into this thing, or I go into this thing, believing and having faith in is that the people we have together know the difference between right and wrong and if you just decide what’s right then you won’t be wrong.”

Valentine also told Glenn Ordway and Michael Holley that Beckett did not volunteer to pitch in Sunday’s 17-inning loss to the Orioles, a game that saw Darnell McDonald allow three runs in the 17th as the Sox were seemingly out of pitching options.

Mariano Rivera has 608 career saves, tops in MLB history. (AP)

This is how it ends for Mariano Rivera?

The greatest closer of all time — by about 50 lengths, no other player in history has a firmer grasp at greatest ever at any position — blew out his ACL while shagging a fly ball during batting practice in Kansas City on Thursday.

Watching the replay on ESPN last night (and good luck finding it anywhere on the internet, MLB is absurdly protective of video, shrewd thinking for a business that is desperate for young viewers) what struck me was the inelegance of the moment. Rivera falling down in the outfield, writhing around in pain for a few minutes before being carried to a cart by Joe Girardi and Rafael Soriano. It just seemed absurd, and just not worthy of a pitcher like Mariano Rivera. It’s the guys like Matt Albers or Bobby Jenks that are supposed to have moments like that, right?

Rivera’s career numbers are staggering, if this is indeed the end he’ll finish as the all-time leader in saves, second in WHIP (Rivera and Pedro Martinez – another once in a lifetime guy – are the only pitchers in the top 10 in WHIP who were born in the 20th century) and 13th in ERA (granted he’s a closer, but the next active player on the all-time ERA list is Tim Lincecum, and he’s 178th). And as mind-boggling as his regular season numbers are, his legacy and reputation were secured in October.

Rivera is the greatest post-season performer in his history of baseball. He’s pitched in 141 playoff innings – about two seasons worth of closing – and has a 0.70 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. My favorite Rivera playoff stat? In 56 ALDS innings, he’s allowed two earned runs.

I suspect many around here have a different favorite playoff stat for Rivera, and it may involve the 2004 ALCS. Looking at Rivera’s baseball-reference page, it kind of surprised me to see how good his numbers were vs. the Sox in 2004. He pitched in five of the seven games, allowed a single earned run in seven innings, striking out six while walking two.

But we know about one of the walks, of course, and the steal and hit and comeback that followed, and all of that led to a moment that forever endeared Rivera to the folks in Boston. The standing ovation he received at Opening Day in 2005 would have pissed some guys off, but Rivera got it, embraced the whole thing. He laughed, tipped his cap, and soaked it all in. Sox fans always respected Rivera (obviously) before that, but that was relationship-altering moment.

I remember watching that and thinking that Rivera was finally entering the back nine of his career. The aura of dominance, of being untouchable was shattered. First Arizona in Game 7 of 2001, now his role in the Yankees blowing a 3-0 lead, maybe the end was near. He was, after all, 35 years old.

Well, over the next eight seasons Rivera had an ERA over 2.16 once and a WHIP above 1.00 once. He was the best closer in history already by 2005 and then got better. It’s true — Rivera was a better pitcher from 2005-2011 than he was from 1996-2004. And he did the impossible, something Mike Tyson, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan couldn’t do: he regained that aura of invincibility. It was as if 2004 never happened (he’s allowed two earned runs in 30 playoff innings since 2004), he was the same guy he was when he took the mound in Game 4 of the ALCS. Maybe that’s why he was smiling at Fenway that day in 2005.

And that’s why everything needs to be prefaced with an “if” when it comes to Rivera. Most 42-year-olds would be done after an ACL tear, but this is Rivera. Before this happened, he suggested this would the his final season, but I wonder if he’ll want to re-write this ending. Legends shouldn’t finish on the warning track during batting practice in Kansas City.

But if this it, it ends a wonderfully, impossibly unique career. And from a Boston perspective, I’d put Rivera right next to Magic Johnson when ranking opposing players. Both were feared, hugely respected and ultimately as close to beloved as someone wearing a Lakers or Yankees uniform can be. I think people around here would be OK with A-Rod or Kobe blowing out a knee, might even enjoy it, but it’s different with Rivera.

And as crazy as it sounds, I bet most Red Sox fans hope they get to see Mariano Rivera on the mound at Fenway again. How many Yankees get two standing ovations at Fenway Park?

Bobby Valentine is off to a 4-7 start with the Red Sox. (AP)

Tattoo this please behind your eyelids and remember it the next time you blame the success or failure of the Red Sox on what a manager says or does not say:

It’s all about pitching.

The 2012 Red Sox are 4-7, and it has nothing to do with Bobby Valentine questioning Kevin Youkilis or any lingering clubhouse disharmony or Liverpool or Linda Pizzuti or even Michael Kay.

Here’s all you need to know: The Red Sox are dead last in the major leagues in ERA, batting average against, hits per nine innings and 28th overall in WHIP.

So far, it’s been September all over again. Instead of Kyle Weiland and Erik Bedard it’s Marc Melanson and Justin Thomas. This team has no shot — zero — of being even semi-competitive without consistent pitching. Now do I think the Red Sox are going to finish the season with a 6.22 ERA? Of course not, and that’s not the point. If Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz stay healthy and Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront are merely serviceable the rotation should be OK (but those are not insignificant ifs — Buchholz has one season with more than 20 starts, who knows about Beckett’s thumb and Bard and Doubront have shown promise in their first two starts but both have a WHIP north of 1.70).

The bullpen is a different story, with Papelbon Replacement No. 1 possibly out for the season and Papelbon Replacement No. 2 currently sporting a 49.50 ERA and – according to his manager – is possibly on his way to Pawtucket. When Scott Atchison has been the best pitcher in the bullpen – and he has been terrific – there are problems, and here’s what would terrify me if I’m a Sox fan: There is no sure thing in that bullpen. Could Franklin Morales keep this up? Maybe, but there is no track record. Who do you trust? Matt Albers? Thomas? Vicente Padilla, 34 years old with back-to-back-to-back injury filled seasons? Longing for Rich Hill and Daisuke Matsuzaka is reality for this team, the Tommy John Twins are a necessity, not a luxury.

Bobby Valentine is fun to talk about, it’s an easy topic, but he’s almost insignificant in the big picture. The Valentine defenders love to bring up Earl Weaver and Billy Martin as fire and brimstone types who were able to shake up the clubhouse – tell it like it is – and succeed. Fine. But we know why it worked, right? Weaver had Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally and Pat Dobson and Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson and Paul Blair and Boog Powell. Billy Martin had Ron Guidry and Catfish Hunter and Goose Gossage and Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson and Graig Nettles and Willie Randolph. Both were great managers – Weaver is a Hall of Famer, and I think Martin should be – but like every other manager in history they needed elite, healthy talent to win. In 1971 Weaver won 101 games, in 1986 he won 73. Do I think he got dumber over a decade and a half? Nope. The ’71 Orioles had a team ERA of 2.99 – and four 20-game winners – and the ’86 team had a 4.40 ERA. It’s that simple. Terry Francona was the perfect guy at the perfect time for the 2004 Sox, but he didn’t become a genius overnight. The Phillies stunk (the 2000 Phillies, Francona’s final team, won 65 games and had a 4.77 ERA) and the Sox were loaded.

Pitching, pitching, pitching. It’s not as sexy as chicken and beer, or players vs. pitchers, or Lucchino vs. Theo, it’s just far more important. It’s the reason Terry Francona is working at ESPN and not 11 games into his ninth year as Sox manager, and it’s the reason Bobby Valentine isn’t working at ESPN and is 11 games into his first season as Sox manager. If Clay Buchholz stays healthy or John Lackey is merely lousy instead of historically awful the 2011 Red Sox make the playoffs and Bob Hohler’s out of luck.

Valentine may be able to keep his job longer if he makes nice with the players, but it’s a stay of execution and a stay of execution only his pitching staff doesn’t figure it out this season. I’d stop focusing on Valentine and start worrying about that bullpen.Give me a solid staff and bullpen over communication skills and relationships every day of the week. You can be John McGraw or Butch Hobson and it’s all the same when you have the worst pitching in baseball.

If you don’t believe me, ask Francona. Does anyone have his phone number?

Bobby Valentine questioned Kevin Youkilis' commitment level in an interview on Sunday. (AP)

“I don’t think he’s as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason.” — Bobby Valentine on Kevin Youkilis

That didn’t take long.

The media has tried awful hard to make a controversy out of all things Bobby Valentine since he was hired last December. But let’s be fair — it’s all been artificial stuff to this point, totally forced. Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford were pissed at him for comments made when Valentine was an ESPN analyst? Yawn. He’s doing a weekly spot on a radio show in New York? Media porn, nothing more and nothing less. He hates Curt Schilling and Curt Schilling hates him? Great, join the club and join the club.

But this is different. No need for context, no need to try and spin it – though Valentine will do everything in his power to blame the media for over blowing this story, I smell some historic backtracking on its way – this is a manager publicly calling out one of his players.

OK. This is exactly what the anti-Francona crowd wanted, right? There was, it seemed to the Francona bashers, an almost comical lack of responsibility in that locker room. John Lackey always had good stuff after giving up eight runs in four innings, David Ortiz bitches about an RBI in front of the press and all it gets is a laugh and shrug, we all know the greatest hits. And after September there was a thirst for accountability, a desire for honesty. Just say what is on your mind and screw the possible consequences and potential fallout.

Well, now we’ve got it. The first home stand of the season isn’t over – the first home series of the season isn’t over – and the manager has already publicly questioned the emotional and physical state of one of his key players. And the people who wanted to see that happen are still unhappy, because Valentine picked the wrong guy, one who doesn’t fit the script. This isn’t Josh Beckett or Carl Crawford or Lackey, this is one of the good guys, right? Right?

I think – as we probably all do – that Youkilis is right in the middle of the decline stage of his career. He’s 33 years old, has been hurt each of the last three seasons (games played from 2009-2011: Youkilis 358, J.D. Drew 357) and in 2011 had his worst year in half a decade. There’s no reason to think he’ll stay healthy this year, and with Will Middlebrooks looming it sure seems to be the final year in Boston for Youkilis (there is a $13 million team option for next year with a $1 million buyout).

All that is true but so it this: I’ve never heard anyone – media, fans, fellow players, anyone – question effort when it comes to Kevin Youkilis. Sure, you hear things (look, he’s not the most popular guy in the locker room from many accounts) but Kevin Youkilis is a guy who has come pretty damn close to maximizing his talents. He’s slowed down physically now, no question about it, but that’s something that happens to every single athlete in every sport. We’ve seen it 10 million times if we’ve seen it once, it’s just happening to Youkilis at an accelerated pace.

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Terry Francona managed the Sox for eight years. (AP)

So Terry Francona will not be at Fenway Park next Friday for the 100th anniversary celebration (maybe you’ve heard about it) because he’s still pissed off at John Henry and Larry Lucchino for either a) directly participating or b) not attempting to prevent what amounted to a character assassination after he was fired (which is really what happened, don’t kid yourself) at the end of last season.

Good for Terry Francona.

First: This isn’t about whether or not Francona should still be managing the Red Sox this season. We can debate that forever, but the biggest collapse in baseball history plus zero postseason wins in three years with a monster budget each season plus clubhouse chaos at the end makes termination justifiable. Doesn’t mean it was handled anywhere close to properly, but guys have been fired for a hell of a lot less.

Also this: I’m getting slightly tired of Francona’s pity party. He’s made it plenty clear in plenty of places — with the Dan Shaughnessy column on Wednesday as the latest example — that he’s not thrilled with how he was treated. We get it. I understand that Francona’s angry, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to lay low on the topic from now on. Quit while you are ahead, and he’s got about a 50-length lead on Henry and Lucchino right now.

But I’m going to assume that Francona is painting an accurate picture to Shaughnessy (it should be noted that Francona and Shaughnessy are collaborating on a book) regarding his conversations with Lucchino and Henry about participating in the 100th anniversary. If that’s the case, how does this make Lucchino look?

“Larry called me yesterday,” Francona said Tuesday. “I was in a phone store in Arizona. I had three people standing around me. I was at a little bit of a disadvantage. He got a little perturbed at me, telling me I was being unfair to them. I called him back last night and left him a message. He called me back and we ended up getting into an argument. I just feel like someone in the organization went out of their way to hurt me and the more we talked I realized we’re just not on the same wavelength. They’re probably better off going forth and leaving me out of it.”

Totally clueless and tone deaf. Think about it: They fire the guy, kill him after he leaves and are now begging him to come back to help them save face with the public? Hubris colliding with desperation.

Look, it could be that everything Bob Hohler wrote about Francona in that story was accurate, there haven’t been a whole lot of denials flying around. But that’s not really the point, though, is it? Francona is right — someone in that organization (off the record) blasted him, went a long way in damaging his reputation and maybe cost him a job this offseason.

And now Lucchino and Henry (who didn’t return Francona’s phone calls at the end of the last season and didn’t contact Francona — kind of a significant figure in franchise history — until February) want him to forget all that, put on a happy face and dance for their benefit next Friday. Does it get more arrogant than that?

And Francona did what you and I and anyone else would want to do to a boss that we feel screwed us — blow them off and did so in a very public way.

This isn’t about budgets or NESN or Linda Pizzuti (though it’s OK to wonder how prominent a role she plays in all things Red Sox) or Bobby Valentine or Ben Cherington or bullpens. This is about common decency, simply doing the right thing. And, in that regard, Lucchino and Henry failed Francona. This is George Steinbrenner stuff (Yogi Berra didn’t show up at Yankee Stadium for a decade and a half after Steinbrenner fired him in 1985), just a perfect example of how not to handle a delicate situation. But that seems to be the modus operandi with Lucchino and Henry — when does it end well?

Terry Francona has said enough. Time to move on. One could argue, I suppose, that he could show up for the fans next week, that’s he’s being selfish (and he’d unquestionably get the biggest ovation). But I suspect he feels doing that would signal that he’s OK – to some extent – with Lucchino and Henry, that there has been some degree of reconciliation. And he clearly has no interest in spreading that message.

Good for him.

Bobby Valentine (AP)

This is a joke, right?

I mean, no one actually cares that Bobby Valentine – who, during the course of the season, will speak twice a day to beat writers, once a day to WEEI in pregame and Jenny Dell of NESN in postgame and will also do a 20-minute weekly spot on The Big Show — is going to spend 10 minutes a week getting softball questions from his pal Michael Kay, do they?

Oh wait. It’s a New York radio station. Uh, OK. So what? I have to admit, I was stunned — stunned — when I heard negative feedback to this announcement Wednesday morning. Once you get past the surprise that ESPN radio in New York would want a manager from another city on every week (sounds great in theory, but how about Bobby V for 15 minutes in late August if the Sox are 68-70?) is there really any reason to be outraged?

Anyone who thinks this will have any impact on this team in 2012 is crazy. Again, fans and media (media more than fans, by the way, and we’ll get to that) care about this stuff more than the players. Here’s how the Red Sox struggle in 2012 — Clay Buchholz gets hurt, Josh Beckett doesn’t pitch well, a couple of injuries to key everyday players. Not Bobby Valentine talking to Michael Kay. It’s meaningless.

And the argument I keep hearing is that no other coach in Boston does this, it’s just more proof of Valentine’s ever-burgeoning megalomania, it’s asking for trouble.

First, what other coach/manager in Boston would have been offered this kind of spot before? The guy a) managed in New York for almost a decade, b) is a lightning rod and c) is buddies with the host of the show. You think Terry Francona or Doc Rivers or Claude Julien has ever been approached for a weekly interview in another market? Of course not (obviously Bill Belichick is a different story). And you know what? If the money was right, I’m sure they’d jump at a chance at six figures for 10 minutes every week. Why wouldn’t they? This is America, we still operate as a capitalistic society last time I checked.

And the idea that 600 seconds a week with Kay is going to be the tipping point in terms of Valentine losing focus or lacking preparation is just moronic. It’s a taped phone call, he’ll probably do it in the car on the way to the office. I’m sorry, the guy isn’t trying to cure cancer, he’s a freaking baseball manager. It’s a tough job, sure, but not that tough. He can probably figure out how to talk to Kay without having the whole operation crumble. And Kay isn’t going to ask Valentine anything — it’s going to be slap and tickle, awful radio. Valentine is not going to rip a player in that spot, frankly he’s far more likely to it with Ordway and Holley.

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