Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine (born May 13, 1950) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB).[1] As a player, Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969, 1971–1972), California Angels (1973–1975), New York Mets (1977–1978), and Seattle Mariners (1979) in MLB. In addition to the Red Sox, he managed the Texas Rangers (1985–1992) and New York Mets (1996–2002) of MLB, as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (1995, 2004–2009).
Valentine has also served as the Director of Public Safety & Health for the city of Stamford, Connecticut and an analyst for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.[2]
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[edit]Early years
Valentine was widely recruited out of Rippowam High School in Stamford, Connecticut by the University of Nebraska,Duke University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California as a star in football and baseball. He attended USC where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him number five overall in the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.
[edit]Playing career
[edit]Minor league MVP
After winning the Pioneer League's MVP award with the Ogden Dodgers in 1968, Valentine debuted with the Dodgers as a September call-up in 1969 at only 19 years old. Though he never recorded a major league at-bat that season, he did score three runs as a pinch runner.
Back in the Pacific Coast League for 1970, Valentine was again his league's MVP after batting .340 with fourteen home runs for the Spokane Indians. Led by Valentine and manager Tommy Lasorda, Spokane won the league championship over a legendary Hawaii Islanders powerhouse.
[edit]Los Angeles Dodgers
Valentine made the Dodgers out of Spring training in 1971, and batted .249 with one home run and 25 runs batted in. The following season, he managed to play in 119 games by playing many different positions—including shortstop, second base, third and all three outfield positions. His batting average improved to .274 in 1972, but he was not showing his early promise as a major leaguer, and following the season, he was packaged in a trade along with Frank Robinson, Billy Grabarkewitz, Bill Singer and Mike Strahler to the California Angels for Andy Messersmith and Ken McMullen.
[edit]California Angels
Valentine batted .302 his first season with the Angels before falling victim to a gruesome injury. On May 17, 1973, Valentine suffered a multiple compound leg fracture atAnaheim Stadium when his spikes got caught in the outfield's chain link fence while attempting to catch a home run ball hit by Dick Green. Valentine missed the remainder of the 1973 season and the leg never healed properly, robbing Valentine of his speed. In 1974, Valentine made 414 plate appearances in the utility role, the second most of his career, and batted .261 with three home runs. At the end of the 1975 season, he was traded to the San Diego Padres.
[edit]"Saturday Night Massacre"
Valentine only appeared in 66 games for the Padres when he was part of New York's infamous "Saturday Night Massacre." On June 15, 1977, the New York Mets traded Dave Kingman to the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Paul Siebert and Valentine, sent Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Hendersonand Dan Norman, and Mike Phillips to the St. Louis Cardinals for Joel Youngblood.
[edit]Seattle Mariners
Valentine's role with the Mets became even more limited, and he was released in Spring training, 1979. He signed with the Seattle Mariners shortly afterwards, and made his debut as a catcher that season. Following the season, he retired from baseball at 29 years of age.
[edit]Managerial career
[edit]Texas Rangers
Valentine was serving as third base coach for the Mets when he was tapped by the Texas Rangers to take over managing duties from Doug Rader 32 games into the 1985 season. He was not able to turn the team's fortunes around right away and the Rangers went 53–76 the rest of the way, finishing with an overall record of 62–99. The following season the Rangers finished second in the American League West with a record of 87–75. Valentine also finished second for AL Manager of the Year that year. Hopes were high in Arlington after the 1986 season, but his Rangers fell back into sixth place the following two seasons. Unable to replicate his early success, Valentine was fired by managing partner George W. Bush[3] halfway through the 1992 season with a record of 45–41. Toby Harrah grabbed the reins from Valentine, and led the Rangers to a 32–44 record and a fourth place finish.
[edit]Chiba Lotte Marines
In 1995, Valentine began his first stint as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League. That season, the team surprised most Japanese baseball fans by finishing in second place (69–58–3), a remarkable feat for the Marines who had not won the Japanese Pacific league pennant since 1974. However, he was fired abruptly due to the personal conflict with general manager Tatsuro Hirooka,[4] despite having a two-year contract.
[edit]New York Mets
He returned to the U.S. and managed the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, the Norfolk Tides to an 82–59 record. He was promoted to manager of the New York Mets with 31 games left in the 1996 season, and led them to a 12–19 record the rest of the way.
Over the next two seasons, with Valentine at the helm, the Mets began a resurgence, finishing 14 games over .500 (88–74) both years. Valentine's most memorable game as a manager occurred on June 9, 1999. In the 12th inning of a 14 inning marathon with the Toronto Blue Jays, Mike Piazza was called for catcher's interference on Craig Grebeck. Valentine was ejected by home plate umpire Randy Marsh for arguing the call, and returned to the dugout an inning later in a disguise (a fake moustache). Unamused, Major League Baseball fined Valentine $5,000 and suspended him for two games. The Mets went on to win the game 4–3.[5]
Valentine led the Mets to a record of 97–66 and a wild card playoff berth that season. The Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in four games (3–1) en route to the National League Championship Series, where they eventually lost to their division rival the Atlanta Braves in six games (4–2).
In early 2000, Valentine was at the center of what would be called "The Whartongate Affair," in which he allegedly mentioned to students at the University of Pennsylvania'sWharton School of Business somewhat cynical, insider comments regarding a handful of Mets players and the organization as a whole.[6]
The Mets returned the following season, finishing the year with a 94–68 record and another wild card playoff berth. This time, the Mets would not be denied the pennant, winning the 2000 National League Championship Series by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in five games (4–1). The Mets would end during the 2000 World Series as they were beaten by their crosstown rival New York Yankees in five games (4–1).
Valentine won the 2002 Branch Rickey Award for his donations and personal work with survivors of the September 11 attacks.[7] Valentine had an uneasy, if not volatile relationship with general manager Steve Phillips, who fired three of Valentine's coaches and selected the replacements himself during the 1999 season (in a move many observers felt was an attempt to get Valentine to quit)[citation needed] and eventually fired him after the 2002 season. Valentine was hired by the network soon afterwards.[citation needed]
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