You’re Bobby Valentine and you cannot believe your good fortune.
You have spent eight years in exile, managing in Japan, hoping to get back into The Show, and then your friend Larry Lucchino suggests that you might be a perfect fit for the Red Sox. Things fell right into place, when Cherington’s candidate, Dale Sveum, was swiped by former Boston GM, Theo Epstein, that opened the door for Lucchino to convince John Henry that you were the right man at the right time for this team.
What is the perfect antidote for a snake bitten team that had a listless, distracted, laconic manager with a few truant boys eating, drinking, and playing while school was in session? A high-energy, completely focused, enthusiastic manager, who is willing to lay down the law and clearly enunciate higher expectations for the players.
You’re Bobby Valentine and, when you were introduced at the news conference you said:
"“I hope I’ll change for the better…I’ve had bad experiences that I hope I’ve learned from…”"
You knew you were specifically referring to the times you were over-candid, too talky with the media in New York and when you told Sports Illustrated exactly how you felt about a cabal of Mets’ players, who were challenging your authority:
“You’re not dealing with real professionals in the clubhouse,” Bobby said. “You’re not dealing with real intelligent guys for the most part. A lot can swim, but most of them just float along, looking for something to hold on to. That’s why, I’m sure, they’re having a players-only meeting. Because there’s about five guys in there right now who basically are losers, who are seeing if they can recruit.”
You were egged on by the hyper-active media in New York and allowed yourself to get dragged into a public tabloid tiff with the Mets’ GM, Steve Phillips.
You’re Bobby Valentine, you are very intelligent, a few years wiser, you even learned Japanese, and you are not going to repeat those mistakes.
This time, if a player, [say the ringleader of the truant boys, Josh Beckett] becomes a sullen Frat boy and tries to recruit other players to challenge your “Pollyanna power of positive thinking” attitude, or your rules [“We’re men and he’s treating us like children.”], you will not communicate indirectly through the media. This time you will call the ringleader into your office for man-to-man, gloves off, conversation and air it out in person.
You’re Bobby Valentine and you know that you were not Cherington’s choice and he probably feels like you were forced on him by your friend Lucchino, but you also know that his career is tied to your success as the manager of the Red Sox, so he will do his best to get you the players you need.
Although he hasn’t quite warmed up to you yet, Ben has been putting a positive spin on your relationship and you are ready to meet him half way. You read that Cherington says that it is good that you have different perspectives and, as long as things remain at least cordial, that will be a benefit: you can learn from each other.
This time you will not allow the media to bait you into a public diatribe dialogue with your GM.
Geez, that Papelbon stepped in it saying the Philly fans are better than the Boston fans. You recall that, last time they polled the MLB managers, they said that San Francisco fans were the most knowledgeable. Those fans in New York knew the game and were rabid supporters of the Mets; these Boston fans love their sports teams and know their stuff on the talk radio programs; for loyalty, you gotta admit that they vote with their fannies; how many sell-outs in a row now at Fenway?
Even after that debacle last season, the Sox fans remained steadfast and loyal; the Philly fans have a reputation for turning on their own team. Didn’t they boo Mike Schmidt? What did they used to say about the fans in Philly? At that Eagles game near Christmas one year they threw snowballs at Santa Claus?
You’re Bobby Valentine and the some fans of “small ball” may question your disdain for the sacrifice bunt; like Earl Weaver, you hate to “voluntarily give up an out.” Hell, this is the American League; no chance to have a pitcher bunt and who the hell would give up an out with this lineup? Once you put a few Ws on the board and these knowledgeable fans figure out that you are one of the best baseball minds in the game today, they’ll be on your side.
You’re Bobby Valentine and you feel fortunate to be handed the most productive offense in baseball. These quibbles about SS, RF and the Fifth Starter make good copy for the media, but they are not worrying you.
You can put Padilla in the pen to back-up Aceves, whom you will utilize as a swing man; he works in the pen for a 7th inning [with Albers] now and then; then, when you see you need a spot starter, on April 11 against the Blue Jays, you use Padilla instead of Aceves to give Alfredo a few days rest; you have McClure put Aceves on a starter routine the week before you need him to start.
Sure Aviles is not an All-Star shortstop, but he hit .288 and will add more runs than he might give on defense. Punto is a versatile [that’s one of your favorite words, because it described your major attribute as a player] and can fill at SS, if you need Aviles to give Youk a rest. Hell, that kid Iglesias has extraordinary hands and can play SS in the late innings. Give him some time and encouragement and let Gerald Perry work with him and he can be an average hitter and Gold Glove winner for many years. Wit this lineup, he could hit .250 and his defense would be a big plus.
Right field? Not many other managers have four guys they can run out there; two lefty and two righty batters; lots of pinch hitting options with that RF slot. Sweeney may not hit that well, but he is an exceptional defender and the kid Kalish will be healed soon and he has a high ceiling. McDonald has already proven he can fill in adequately in the OF and he hits lefties well. None of them may play RF as well as Evans, but they’ll get help with the tweener shots in right-center from Ellsbury.
You’re Bobby Valentine and it will be almost impossible for you to fail. You believe you can avoid starting the season 0 and 12 [the team’s worst start since 1945, you recall] and you will certainly not let the team lose focus in September and drop precipitously from best record in baseball to third place. [Hey, worst case, even if the Sox finish third, it would be better than last year; this year you would get a playoff game with the second place team.]
You’re Bobby Valentine and you know why you will not get the endorsement contract with Bigelow Tea; who would believe that you would be sitting peacefully, sipping green tea, your mind off baseball completely, what? Just before a game?
You’re Bobby Valentine and people are just realizing that, although you love to talk, what you love to talk about more than anything is baseball, because you love this marvelous game as much as Ernie Banks and know as much about it as Tony LaRussa, maybe more.
You’re Bobby Valentine and you are as fortunate as a pitcher with the wind at his back in Wrigley Field. You know the two things you must avoid repeating: going public with revolts by players or disagreements with your GM and, compared to the 2011 disaster, since you are the right man and the right time for the right team–you can hardly go wrong.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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