Chris Archer, David Ortiz have mutual respect after feud

BOSTON – Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer and Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz haven’t always seen eye to eye. Most pitchers and batters don’t.

The two had a war of words going for a while. It went back to 2014 after Ortiz flipped his bat and then took a leisurely trot around the bases after hitting a home run off Archer. After the game, Archer said Ortiz sometimes acts like "he feels like he's bigger than the game" -- almost exactly what former teammate and now Ortiz’s teammate David Price had to say in 2013.

"He's not the right guy to be saying that. I don't think, you know, you got two days in the league,” Ortiz said when told of Archer’s comments.

Then in April 2015 Archer gave a feisty fist pump after striking out Ortiz with two runners on to end an inning.

And with Ortiz, 40, retiring after the season there will be few chances for showdowns between the slugger and the 27-year-old righty. They both say any animosity has been replaced by mutual respect.

“I got nothing against him,” said Ortiz, who is 9 for 27 with two home runs and 11 RBI in his career against Archer, on Tuesday before the start of a three-game set with the Rays at Fenway Park.

“It’s all about competing. And, you know, adrenaline, when you’re playing always kicks in. But I think he’s a great pitcher, a good young talented pitcher. I think he’s got a great future and he’s one of the best in the game.”

“I think that I didn’t maybe understand him, either,” Archer said. “It wasn’t one-sided. That whole situation I was defending a teammate who’s now his teammate, so it’s really weird. But I think last year we moved beyond all that. It definitely gave a few of the networks something to talk about on some Wednesday games where they may not have had much else to talk about except that. But, yeah, that’s all in the past and I respect the career that that man's had and I’m going to cherish every at-bat every time I get to face him this year.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/04/20/feud-aside-chris-archer-david-ortiz-now-have-mutual-respect/83281896/