Nov
29
2011

Bobby Valentine To Be Named Red Sox’ New Manager

An article by Clayton Collier

After the severe lack of discipline that ran rampant throughout the clubhouse of Fenway Park, the Red Sox have now hired Bobby Valentine as their new skipper, replacing the passive Terry Francona. According to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston, Valentine will be officially hired upon his return from Japan tomorrow.

The beloved former Mets manager will bring a much needed leadership role to the squad and will not put up with any nonsense as seen throughout the month of September. Valentine is the perfect man to light a fire underneath the BoSox and bring them to their first playoff berth since 2009.

The 61-year old now becomes the 45th manager in Red Sox history. After tours of duty with the Texas Rangers and Mets, Valentine will now suit up for his thrid MLB managerial job. Valentine also managed in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995 and from 2004-2009.

On a side note, I think it will be interesting to see how the Red Sox pursue Yu Darvish now that Bobby V. is their skipper. With such a great deal of experience in Japanese baseball, Valentine could provide a much-needed comfort level for a guy like Darvish coming over to such a different enviornment. Also, it will be interesting to see if Daisuke Matsuzaka’s performance changes it all now that he has a manager that can comminicate with him on a more one-on-one level.

About the Author: Clayton Collier

Clayton, a Long Island native and die-hard Mets fan, started writing online about three years ago. He is currently a Journalism major with a minor in Broadcasting at Seton Hall University. Although very disappointed with the current state of the team, Clayton remains hopeful that the young prospects in the farm system will bring the Mets back to a respected franchise in baseball once again. Besides writing for MMO, Clayton is also a staff member at 89.5 WSOU, Seton Hall's modern active rock radio station. You can contact Clayton by following him on Twitter: @Clayton_Collier or E-mailing him at MaybeNextYearMets@yahoo.com

10 Comments + Add Comment

Lauren November 29, 2011 at 9:26 pm

Interesting…
Wonder if he’ll bring the mustache?
In all seriousness, I’m just thrilled the Red Sox made a decision- and it’s comforting to see Mets fans so nostalgic about the guy.
Lisa P. November 29, 2011 at 9:46 pm

Kind of bittersweet actually. Good luck Bobby!
Donal November 29, 2011 at 10:14 pm

Clayton, I think you are misstating what happened in Boston. The stories of attitude problems and laziness seem to be more of a product of executives trying pin blame and make power plays than anything Francona did or didn’t do.

That said, Valentine is a good manager, but I wonder how he’ll do with all those big money egos and a boss like Luccino. Also, he may or may not have been Cherington’s choice.

I think Boston and Miami are both interesting situations with a lot of volatile elements. They can both be circuses as soon as things get rough.
Bayonne Mets Fan November 29, 2011 at 11:37 pm

Good luck to Bobby and another series of bad decisions by the Wilpons resonates with Mets fans each new day afterwards.

First it was hiring Alderson who is doing an absolutely horrendous job since the day he took over, then when that happened I knew Bobby V would be gone to cuz Alderson is one of the guys who believes that the manager is just an extension of the FO beliefs. Bobby V is his own man and if you hire him you let him call the shots.

It’s hindsight now but looking back the Mets would be better off with a team of Minaya/Valentine right now. More exciting, more colorful, more committed to winning regardless of payroll, and more tix sold.
- izzy November 30, 2011 at 8:10 am
  
  Actually Bayonne in looking further back things would have been far better if the ownership group would have been headed by Doubleday vice this man in charge now.
Gina November 30, 2011 at 7:51 am

Good for him. He belongs in a dugout not in a broadcast booth. Welcome back to the show Bobby!
tlagee November 30, 2011 at 5:34 pm

I love Bobby V. I thought he should have come back to manage the Mets last year.

Now that our beloved Mets are imploding thanks to Freddie getting hoodwinked it will be fun to root for Bobby and the Sox against the Yanks!
jdon November 30, 2011 at 5:59 pm

I hate the Red Sox AND the Yankees. Their games put me to sleep because they take so long and I don’t care who loses. I wonder what Bobby will do with a tealented lineup? He likes to mess around, and he likes the story to be about him. I like listening to him talk. But I still resent the way he sat stars on Sunday, with no thought to the people who could only bring their kids to games on weekends. I cannot wish him well because I hate the Sox. But I think he is a good manager, just not the Second Coming. I did not find him to be a great commentator, though. Only in comparison to Joe Morgan.
Kay November 30, 2011 at 6:18 pm

Funny I don’t remember all these warm and fuzzy’s of Bobby V that some others do. I remember when he left and most Mets fans were happy about it. I guess we have selective memory because he was the last manager to take the team to the WS. Yes, he did get some mediocre players to play way over their talent, Agbayani, Perez

I clearly remember him not being great with the media, making horrible jokes, throwing his players under the bus, i.e. No one remembers him killing Alfonzo in the press for playing for his next contract?

Sorry, I’m not sad the Mets passed on this ego. He had two winning seasons of 4 here in NY and his record prior was not exactly stellar in Texas.
- tlagee November 30, 2011 at 6:25 pm
  
  It is certainly not a selected memory with me. He took a team to the world series that had Bell, Benny and Jay Payton as their outfielders. He put on an incredible managerial performance when he totally outcoached LaRussa in the playoffs.
  
  In my opinion, he was the best manager – between the white lines – that the Mets have had in their history.
  
  Not everyone liked him – but I did.
  
  He had a rocky relationship with Steve Phillips and the Wilpons did him no favors by inserting backstabbing Dave Wallace as the pitching coach.
  
  BV lost the team the second Phillips brought in Fat Mo Vaughn who flat out quit on the team, bringing many players with him.
  
  BV had very little say in who Phillips brought in – but he did the best he could with what he had.

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