David Ortiz, David Price put acrimonious past behind them

ByRick Weber ESPN logo
Monday, February 22, 2016

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It appears that David Ortiz and David Price are going to be just fine.

After arriving in the clubhouse Monday morning, Ortiz sought out Price and the two embraced, as shown in a video posted by the Boston Red Sox.

"I got your back," Ortiz said to Price, who spent seven years with the rival Tampa Bay Rays.

Former combatants frequently become loyal teammates, but Ortiz and Price have a rather extensive and acrimonious history.

During the 2013 American League Division Series, Price was incensed that Ortiz took so much time circling the bases after a pair of home runs. Ortiz said Price apologized to him in the ensuing offseason, but the first time they met in 2014, Ortiz was hit by a pitch, prompting him to say, "I mean, it's a war. Next time he hits me, he better bring the gloves. I have no respect for him no more."

Price's response: "Nobody is bigger than the game of baseball, and sometimes the way he acts out there, he kind of looks like he's bigger than the game of baseball. That's not the way it is. That's not the way it goes."

Price also seemed offended by Ortiz's depiction of the incident as "war."

"We have troops, men and women that are fighting for our freedom, making sure we stay safe and could be prepared for a real war," Price said. "That's not acceptable. This is not a war, by no means. This is a game we play."

Now Price says he hopes to keep the past in the past.

"I'm ready to be his teammate and his friend. That's what I'm looking forward to," Price said, according to MLB.com. "I want to be accepted by all my teammates, and that's something you need to have if you want to get to where you need to be."