He's a Hottie

"My name is Joshus Hotheadis Beckettus, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Fenway Legions, loyal servant to Tito Franconius. Obsessed with playing the game right, I have a very short fuse and tend to overreact. And I will have my vengeance, in the next game or the next. My name is Gladiator."

Tito: 'Maybe the Other Team Will Have to Take a Lump or Two'

�Beckett�s very emotional, I found that out in the seventh inning when we took him out, he almost knocked my arm off. But, and that�s the thing, he�s our guy, and if we have a couple of things along the way where he offends somebody, well you know what, he�s still our guy and he wants to go out and win 20 games, again, he�s our guy, so we�re gonna back him up. If that�s the way he�s good, you know what, that�s the way he�s good. So maybe the other team will have to take a lump or two, that�s just the way it is. He�s emotional, that�s part of the way he gets good, is by kind of putting himself against the world. There�s different ways guys do it and again, I don�t want to take it away from him.� -- 4.12.06, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona on WEEI's Dale and Holley

Beckett's a Hottie

�'Our pitching coach had him, said some stuff about him,' Hillenbrand said. 'I know what he�s about. That stuff�s in-house, but he gave us some history, especially after (the Howard incident) happened.'

"Beckett admitted he may have overreacted, though he didn�t appear to say anything to Hillenbrand at the time. Hillenbrand said he didn�t even know Beckett was upset until teammates mentioned it after the game.

�'I was mad at myself and probably let my emotions get the best of me,' Beckett said.

"Hillenbrand, who prided himself on playing hard with the Red Sox, dismissed Beckett�s broadside.

�'I�m going to make my living regardless of what he says or does,� Hillenbrand said. 'I�m just trying to win a ballgame. I�ve never even met the guy. If he�s going to do that, he�s just making himself look bad.'� -- 4.12.06, Boston Herald, John Tomase

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