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David Price mocked Dennis Eckersley and cursed at him multiple times during the confrontation last month between the Red Sox left-hander and the Hall of Fame pitcher, according to a report published Sunday by the Boston Globe. The report, which cited six firsthand witnesses and three other sources close to Eckersley, provided previously unreported details about the altercation, which took place on the Red Sox team airplane from Boston to Toronto on June 29. Price was annoyed at a comment made by Eckersley during the NESN broadcast of Boston's game against Minnesota earlier that day, when Eckersley said "Yuck" shortly after NESN showed Eduardo Rodriguez's subpar pitching statistics from a rehab outing with Double-A Portland. Price, according to the report, stood in front of Eckersley as the former pitcher boarded the plane and shouted, "Here he is -- the greatest pitcher who ever lived! This game is easy for him!" Eckersley attempted to respond to Price, but the five-time All-Star shouted, "Get the [expletive] out of here," drawing applause from a group of players who were surrounding him at the time, according to the report. Price again told Eckersley to "get the [expletive] out of here" later during the flight, when Eckersley got up to walk toward the front of the plane and passed through a section where many of the players were seated. Red Sox manager John Farrell confirmed on June 30 that the incident occurred but declined to disclose details, saying only that it was "being handled internally." In response to Sunday night's report by the Globe, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy told the paper that the organization "handled it internally in Toronto." "David [Price] met with [Red Sox president] Dave Dombrowski and John Farrell," Kennedy told the Globe. "It was dealt with at that level." Red Sox owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, Dombrowski and Kennedy all have attempted to resolve the situation with Eckersley, but neither Price nor Farrell have offered him an apology, according to the Globe. Farrell told the Globe that the Red Sox have "moved on, and our focus is on winning games," when asked about the situation. Eckersley, 62, is not traveling with the Red Sox on their current West Coast trip and is unlikely to rejoin the team on the road anytime soon, according to the Globe. Eckersley has been filling in on broadcasts for Jerry Remy, who underwent surgery earlier this year to treat a recurrence of lung cancer. Known for his candid, straight-shooting and often colorful breakdown of games, Eckersley is a frequent pregame and postgame analyst for NESN and has worked previously for Remy. Price, 31, is 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA this season, his second with the Red Sox. He announced last month that he would no longer speak to the media on days when he doesn't pitch and also lashed out at a reporter from CSNNE.com earlier this season after a game in New York.
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