Josh Beckett, the new Red Sox ace, is just what Boston needed in its rotation, but I hope he learns to check some of his hefty attitude at the door.  He is off to a hot start, but not just with his multi-million-dollar right arm.  He’s a hothead.  Pure and simple.  He talks about respecting the game and trying uphold the old school, unwritten, gentleman’s rules of baseball.  He says that since he respects the batter, the batter has to respect him.  This is all well and good.  I am an old-schooler myself and I’m all for a young pitcher keeping it real, but this guy keeps it mother f–king real.  I am worried that he is going to keep pissing off opposing hitters (Shea Hillenbrand is still fuming over Beckett’s overreaction the other day), get his own teammates hit with retaliatory pitches, and – even worse – get a teammate injured in a bench-clearing brawl started by his own stubborn actions.  Just watching the spring training games and the first week’s games, you can see an eager and awed Beckett soaking in all that Curt Schilling has to say.  And we all know Schilling has a lot to say.  Schilling is a fiery competitor, he backs down to no man, and he keeps it real.  However, he does not cross that line that Beckett does.  Let’s hope Schilling can be a positive influence, if not a calming presence, in Beckett’s development.  Afterall, Josh is on the big stage now.  This isn’t Miami, big guy.  Grow up and keep those emotions in check. 

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