If Josh Beckett [stats] were a political candidate, his handlers would have gray or no hair by now after all the self-inflicted damage the stubborn and contrarian starter has done to his image and reputation since last September.

Yesterday, however, Beckett, who starts today for the Red Sox [team stats] in the series finale against the Texas Rangers, stayed true to his roots but at the same time revealed more of the articulate and sensitive side to his personality. It's always been there, of course, but while promoting his upcoming "Beckett Bowl" charity event, he let it show during an affable appearance on WAAF [website]-FM radio.

"I think for me, I'm just me. I don't pay too much mind when people have their opinions about it," Beckett said with regard to whether or not he is understood very well. "I'm not going to change and I think sometimes that's kind of what the media outlets want you to do here. They want you to be who they want you to be instead of just who you are. I'm just me, and I have a really good support group around me.