For Beckett, par for course

Josh Beckett compared the last three days of his life to being on a reality show.

“I’m on ‘Khloe and Lamar Go To Boston’ or something,’’ he said while standing in front of the home dugout at Fenway Park on Friday. “How did that happen?’’

Beckett knows exactly why. We don’t need any Kardashians in New England, we have our athletes and they provide plenty of contrived drama.

The Red Sox have been a disaster since last September and Beckett is the face of their fall collapse and sickening spring. He was the perceived ringleader of the chicken and beer parties in the clubhouse last season, and this week it was revealed that he played golf on a day off while recovering from a sore lat muscle that caused him to miss a start.

Beckett made it worse by giving up seven runs against the Indians on Thursday before getting pulled in the third inning. Then he entertained postgame questions with his usual smug indifference.

All Beckett needed to do was act contrite and the episode would have blown over. Instead, he made it worse by acting offended at the idea that anybody would care what he did on his day off.

A day later, Beckett was a little less defiant but not remotely apologetic.

“I wasn’t going to hurt myself playing golf,’’ he said. “I was fine.’’

So, why did he miss a start?

“We were just being careful to make sure something didn’t happen,’’ he said. “That wasn’t my call. I would have pitched if they wanted me to pitch.’’

Manager Bobby Valentine, who has picked his words carefully after his criticism of Kevin Youkilis became its own episode last month, backed up Beckett in that regard.

Beckett wasn’t injured, he said. It was a precautionary move.

“I don’t think I am making a determination on what people do on their offdays, unless it affects the performance of them on the field, and it seems that he was healthy when he played and it seems that [the golf] didn’t hurt him,’’ he said.

“It would be very tough for a manager to start legislating what guys do when they’re away from the park.’’

That’s not to say there won’t be a little talk about paying closer attention to perception and not angering the customers.

“I think there are things that have been thought about since this has happened, by everyone concerned,’’ Valentine said. “In terms of just right and wrong and what to do next time.’’

It will be a surprise if Beckett listens. He has been catered to since he arrived in Boston, allowed to dictate who catches him and when he works out. The clubhouse beer drinking didn’t happen for the first time last year, either.Continued...