May
2
2011

Valentine Made Reyes Into A Switch-Hitter

An article by Craig Lerner

Last night before the game, former Mets manager and new ESPN Sunday Night Analyst Bobby Valentine met with Mets shortstop Jose Reyes. They exchanged greetings, talked, and Valentine kissed the back of his hand.

According to David Waldstein of the NY Times, Valentine then came away with a huge smile, and said, “And by the way, in case anyone asks, I made him into a switch-hitter.”

Valentine brought Reyes, who spoke little English, and the bilingual coach Juan Lopez into the batting cage in the Orioles’ complex and worked with him for more than an hour, focusing purely on Reyes’s left-handed swing. Valentine watched, demonstrated, explained and educated the young prospect.

“I took about 1,000 swings from the left side,” Reyes said. “He would watch me for a while and then say something and I would do what he just said. Then he would watch me take a few more swings and he would tell me something else. It went on like that for over an hour. I was sweating and getting tired, and listening to everything he said. It was great. I never forgot that day.”

He said that after that day with Valentine, he took a new confidence into the left-handed batter’s box with him.

“I really appreciated what he did for me,” Reyes said. “I was very young and up to that point I didn’t have anyone like that who could spend more than an hour working with me. That was a key for me, it really was. It was very important for me to become a real switch-hitter.”

I had never heard this story before this morning. Thanks Bobby.

About the Author: Craig Lerner

I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.

6 Comments + Add Comment

METS62FAN May 2, 2011 at 11:06 am

I’VE OFTEN WONDERED HOW MUCH BETTER JOSE COULD’VE BEEN HAD HE BEEN ALLOWED TO FULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A FULL SEASION OF AA OR AAA. AS IT WAS HE’D ONLY HAD A CUP OF COFFEE IN AAA, I RECALL CALLING TO RESERVE TIOCKETS TO SEE HIM HERE IN CHARLOTTE, NC IN A AAA GAME Vs THE CHW CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS, THE OPERATOR ON THE OTHER END, ASKED IF I WAS CALLING BECAUSE OF THIS “HOT KID” FROM TIFDEWATER TEAM, EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT, I SAID YES AS REYES HAD ONLY BEEN UP A FEW WEEKS & WAS TEARING IT UP. THAT GASME WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RAINED OUT & THAT EVENING REYES WAS CALLED UP NEVER TO BLESS CHARLOTTE AGAIN EWITH ANOTHER APPEARANCE, MY SON WAS CRESTFALLENLY DISAPPOINTED AS REYES HAS ALWAYS BEEN HIS PERSONAL FAVORITE PLAYER.
THIS ARTICLE TRULY IS SO TYPICAL OF WHAT I LOVE & HATE ABOUT BOBBYV. HIS KNOWLEDGE & LOVE FOR THE GAME IS CHERISHED; HOWEVER HIS INCESSANT SELFPROMOTION IS ABHORANT.
AS IS OFTEN SAID ABOUT HIM, HE BELIEVES HE’S FAR & AWAY THE SMARTEST MAN IN BASEBALL, I U DON’T, HE’LL HARANGUE TO CONVINCE U.
LAST NIGHT HERSHIESER REVEALED THAT IT WAS ROBIN VENTURA WHO PUT BOBBYV UP TO THAT DISGUISED ATTEMPT @ VIOLATING HIS BEING THROWN OUT OF THE GAME YET REAPPEARING IN BESPECULED GROUCHO MOUSTACHE DISGUISE WITH NYM T-SHIRT IN LIEU OF UNIFORM SHIRT. HIS FINE WAS $10,000.00 HE FOOTED HIMSELF.
Lifelongmmetsfan May 2, 2011 at 11:14 am

Is Bobby Valentine the Donald Trump of the Baseball world or what?!
- Alex in CT May 2, 2011 at 12:24 pm
  
  He is Donald Trump, Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey all rolled into one.
sarge May 2, 2011 at 12:35 pm

What ever, I don’t like that either about Bobby but where would Jose be if he had not learned to hit from the left side to take advantage of his speed?
- Lifelongmetsfan May 2, 2011 at 2:09 pm
  
  Agreed.
  It’s just Valentine’s self congratulatory look-at-me, look-at-me, Mr. Ronny Paulino show us your visa act is very funny!
Nick May 2, 2011 at 4:20 pm

And we decided to get rid of him. Only the Mets…

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