Dustin Pedroia:
Just excited to have a manager. It took a while. ...[N]ow we can get ready for next year. ... He's been around. He's done it before and in a big market. It's going to be fun. ... I've got a lot of built-up stuff inside me to prove to everybody that we're going to be a great team in the future.WEEI's Alex Speier - who has written several lengthy, must-read articles this off-season - explains how Valentine became the Red Sox manager:
The selection of Bobby Valentine as the next Red Sox manager was an entirely unexpected outcome to the process. Shortly after manager Terry Francona was dismissed, according to multiple industry sources, at least one player was told by team officials that the Sox had no intention of hiring "someone like Bobby Valentine." ...
So what happened?
Kevin Millar:
I think you have to create some kind of fear. You have to fear somebody when you play this game. The best approach is to treat men like men ... There are some situations that need to be tightened up, whether that's the conditioning situation, whether that's the eyes in the clubhouse situation.Curt Schilling:
This one was just a stunning one for me. I didn't see the fit. Personality-wise, Bobby's a different bird. ... He's a smart guy. I had a chance to work with him this year at ESPN. He's got some very interesting takes on managing. ... We all know that Boston is different than every place else. ... I think Bobby is equipped to handle it. He's done it in New York. ... I don't mean this in a disrespectful way but it's going to come out that way, I thought someone was kidding when they first announced this, that he was being interviewed, because again, when I think back to the mandate and what the initiative might have been to change around at the end of last year and maybe going forward, Bobby Valentine is not the guy that I thought that this ownership group would be advocating for.Celtics coach Doc Rivers:
When I was with the Knicks a thousand years ago, I got to know [Valentine] a little bit. We lived in the same town in Stamford. I ate at Bobby V's quite a bit. I can tell you, he doesn't comp. ... I had to pay.ESPN's Buster Olney:
As Valentine emerged as a managerial candidate, some Red Sox players have been upset; they've been grumbling to each other, through texts and phone calls. Maybe it's because they heard Bobby critique their play on the air. Maybe they haven't liked his tone. Maybe they haven't liked his smile. Maybe they've heard bad things. And the fact is they had no power to do anything about it, because the September collapse completely undercut the credibility of the Red Sox players. If one of them had called the front office to register concerns about Valentine, they might've heard laughter on the other end of the line. The Boston players had complete control of the clubhouse in 2011, and we know what happened.Buster's blog is behind a pay wall, so I cannot read the entire column.
Quote Note (my emphasis): Rob Parker (ESPN) calls the hiring of Valentine "the biggest overreaction in the history of baseball. ... Even with Bobby Valentine they will not make the playoffs because their pitching is not good enough."
48 comments:
I realize the Sox need pitching depth, but Beckett, Lester and Bucholz is a good start. Losing Lackey and Dice is addition by subtraction.
Even with Bobby Valentine they will not make the playoffs because their pitching is not good enough.
If that's all the Sox do, and they do nothing else, he may be right. But the end of 2011 seems just a tad early to judge the outcome of the 2012 season, no?
I think you have to create some kind of fear. You have to fear somebody when you play this game. The best approach is to treat men like men
MLB players need fear in order to play well? Sounds more like treating men like children - children with bad parents.
SI says it's a two year deal.
Heyman says Mets and Orioles are interested in Varitek.
Watch it here
Still amazed that Cherington sounds almost exactly like Theo.
SoSH Game Thread
honored
humbled
pretty damn excited
thanks trio for giving blessing to ben's decision.
hmm....
not used to seeing him a lot, but he seems overwhemled.
wants to establish a "culture of excellence"
asked about his critical comments n Tv about some sox
he was an analyst and part of the job is to be critical.
(he's right.)
ben - wants a RH batter to balance out lineup.
bv - best role for bard? "i have no idea"
FUCK YOU CHB!
CHB getting a quote to slug into his already-written column that Ben has no choice in decision.
NY Post in the house
ben had 2-3 hour chat with bv in first week of november - then came the formal interview (the 8 hour one)
planning on a lot of interaction with players, on phone and flying around this winter
wanted this from the first time i hear the job was open.
did not want to think about this day AT ALL for fear of being heartbroken.
he says he would wake up at night in nov saying "there's a chance" and tell himself stop it, you're going to be heartbroken.
still trying to wrap his head around it
advanced metrics - most excited growth period of baseball that i will ever be in -
in texas, was not ready for it, to make numbers applicable to day to day games. but had grown since then, in ny and japan.
i know info is available to me - it has to fit in, be digested with stuff from my eyes and ears and hope it combines and = results.
making air quotes, but he uses one finger each - favours the british style or maybe it's a quote within a greater conversation. meta-time!
"the players" a misnomer. there is no "players", all individuals. everything is different. looking forward to being part of their team, they are not part of my team.
ravech: "how difficult was the decision to leave espn?"
Me: I want games to start NOW.
Honestly, that was very impressive. I am quite hopeful. And he seems genuinely thrilled out of his fucking mind to have this job.
At the end of his hourlong appearance on WEEI from a Connecticut casino, Francona was asked if he planned to watch Bobby Valentine's introductory press conference.
"Very honest?" Francona said. "It depends on how I do at the blackjack table. If I'm losing, I'll come back and watch."
--Brian Mac in ProJo
I'm getting hopeful for BV (and what permanent JOS monicker will he pick up?) but I am going to miss Francona's wit.
Thanks, Allan, for giving a play by play. I had to teach and missed the press conference. I will try to see if I can find it on line, but your summary is very much appreciated.
Also, NESN will have BV in the studio at 8, and I will watch. Want a PBP?
He is not a man of few words, that's for sure! He sure seems excited, which is really nice to see.
OMG, I can't believe he just said that when he first got to Japan, he thought all Japanese were alike with names he could not tell apart.
I am concerned that he may have just made an Al Campanis remark. Jesus. Though he did then say he quickly learned they were all individuals. But still....
To me that just sounds honest. This was his preconception - then he quickly discovered it was wrong. It doesn't seem offensive - although I didn't hear it firsthand.
I knew what he meant, but it still sounded awful. Like the old stereotype that all Asians look alike and are inscrutable. If you took what he said out of context, which someone likely will, it sounded very racist. I hope the media does not do that, but you know damn well how they are.
Really fun interview with Terry Francona on WEEI, broken up into hree parts, here, here, and here.
Those are probably not in order but whatever.
Bothers me a lot that Bob Hohler's article came up in Tito's interview out in St. Louis and seemed to have affected their decision on not hiring him.
Valentine managed for six years in Japan (2 separate trips). He is very highly respected there; he speaks the language, though I don't know exactly how much.
If anyone tries to start a fire with this, he will stamp it out immediately. There is no chance it flares up.
I hope you're right, Allan, because I know what his intention was, but I also know how things can take on a life of their own regardless of what someone intended.
I just transcribed free of charge the "they're all alike" speech. I guess I could see him meaning that that's how "people in general" might think of people from another culture. Actually, I don't know what the hell he's trying to say, but I haven't known what the hell this man has been trying to say since 1985. Here you go:
"It was very easy at the beginning in Japan to say 'oh, they're all alike. They're all Japanese guys, their names are all hard to read, they're all alike, ya know, so treat 'em all just as though they were one person.' And within the first two months of spring training I realized they were all different, and they all had special needs, and they all need to be treated as individuals, even moreso than I knew in New York."
I may have understated the number of adult males named 'Bobby' over the age of 50. When I was a kid, the bully on our street was named Bobby. So I think I have a general predisposition for angst toward the name. One time he offered me some of those goldfish crackers from the giant carton. When I reached in to grab a handful, he dumped the entire thing on my head. It was filled with water. His second-in-command bully called him "Bib" for some reason. He said it was a nickname for "Bobby." But Bib may have just been using some mind control on his minion.
Anyhoo, for the sake of BoSox fans, I hope the players get to dump a carton of Gatorade on Bib Valentine's head this year. But at the same time: mark your calendars: June 15-17, 2012 in Chicago against the Cubs. I'll be cheering for Starlin Castro to go 15-for-15 in the series against the man that berated him on national TV. He'll hit a walk-off grand slam in the final game and spit seeds while he circles the bases. #goodoleboynetwork
Thanks, Jere. I have to stay that my reaction is still to cringe when I read what he said, just as I did when I heard him say it. It just sounds like some of those "some of my best friends are..." comments. And both of us (H and I) noticed that Orsillo had this, "What did he just say? How do I change the topic fast?" reactions after BV finished making that statement. He quickly did change the subject.
Anyway, maybe it's my overly PC sensitivity.
Bogar still 3B coach....i am getting nervous his services may be retained. Anyone have Bobby's e-mail address? I need to influence him.
Sounds more like he was saying someone *could* have that attitude - and perhaps being in a foreign country where the players all do look somewhat similar (at least compared to yourself and just about everyone you know) would be the "natural" and easy thing to do. And maybe he found himself thinking that, but he soon found that would not work. It was nuts, in fact. Just like he corrected a reporter (Vega?) for referring to "the players", as though all 25 Sox think and act alike, and all want the exact same thing, he knows better now. Like he said in the press conf., there is no one size fits all, not even with the same player at a different time.
(and what permanent JOS monicker will he pick up?)
Kate?
Amy said...
Anyway, maybe it's my overly PC sensitivity.
I would say most likely your over sensitivity.
Then I wonder to myself.... I heard that firsthand and thought I see where he is coming from. Then I read your comments then questioned my own thoughts.
Then questioned yours..
I mentioned this a few years back, but when I was in college and taking a History of South Africa class, the teacher who was black, said to us , the 99% white people in class, "most of you wll not believe what I am telling because I am black and check my theories with a white teacher". And that thought never crossed my mind until he said it. I was highly offened and questioned to myself "does he want me to be a racist or just assume that I am one?"
In Bobby's case which seemed honest as hell. Was that he was ignorant to the situation and learned he was wrong. Answering the question correctly about what he has learned over the years.
Now if someone is called a racist because they have grown as a person , we will never get anywhere......
I am onboard the Valentine train. What else are you gonna do as a fan? He says the right things and he says them with the right tone. Here's to the future. (I will miss Francona's sly smile, though.)
Side notes:
Cherrington does sound like Theo, WOW.
Single air quotes bother me as much as double air quotes.
Just to be clear, I am not saying he is a racist; I am just saying that it could be perceived that way or distorted to sound that way if someone wanted to do a smear campaign on him.
Fortunately, I have not yet seen any other comments on his remarks aside from those here, so perhaps it will just go away, as it should.
Valentine was using exaggeration to get his point across that he was entering a very different environment that he knew so very little about. Then he learned and now knows more than most of us do.
"He says the right things and he says them with the right tone."
In the last day, sure. Over the years, not so much.
I don't care what he said 10 years ago, 10 months ago, or 10 weeks ago. He was not managing my favourite team back then.
So far, so good. Day 1 of the Valentine Era was a rousing success.
CHB says in his column today that the press conference was "cleverly scheduled for 5:30". That allowed TV stations to carry it live during news time.
OH, HOW CLEVER THOSE RED SOX ARE!!!!
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