Josh Beckett gets booed off the mound at Fenway Park

Don’t fans in Fenway Park know that golfers like for it to be quiet when they play? Apparently not, as Red Sox starter Josh Beckett was booed off the field in Boston’s 8-3 loss to Cleveland on Thursday night in Boston.

The start came about 24 hours after Red Sox fans learned that Beckett was playing golf last week a day after he was scratched from his scheduled start with a sore muscle in his back.

“I think it was directed at me,” Beckett told the Associated Press. “Smart fans.”

But Beckett refused to apologize for playing golf, dismissing the fans’ anger with a “what I do on my day off is my business” comment.

Note to Josh (everyone else please skip ahead one paragraph): When you are getting paid about $15.7 million to pitch, don’t say you are too hurt and then go play golf. It tends to annoy those who work harder than you for much less money.

Former Red Sox player Johnny Damon, now with Cleveland, felt sorry for Beckett.

“You never want to get booed at your home stadium,” Damon told the Associated Press. “He’s a great pitcher. Had a bad night. He helped bring another championship here, but as we all know that can get lost in time.”

Meanwhile, Beckett became a little testy in the postgame interview after a series of questions about his golf outing.

“We get 18 off days a year,” he said. “I think we deserve a little bit of time to ourselves.”

Josh Beckett, winner of today’s “I’ve lost touch with reality” award. Well done, sir.

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Josh Beckett gets booed off the mound at Fenway Park