Analyzing Bobby Valentine’s hiring as Terry Francona’s successor as manager of the Boston Red Sox, ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes writes the former “is out of the Dean Wormer generation when it comes to putting up with frat-house antics”. “Demonstrative, outspoken, volatile, demanding, he is certain to bring a level of public accountability to a group of players who may have grown too comfortable,” gushes Edes, perhaps forgetting that it was under Valentine’s watch Bobby Bonilla and Rickey Henderson spent the final 3 innings of an NLCS elimination game playing cards in the clubhouse. That said, “laid back” is not a term that commonly comes to mind when discussing Valentine, whose ascension to one of the top jobs in baseball might not be met with celebration in some quarters, particularly the bucket training table of one Josh Beckett, of whom BoSox Injection’s Rick Meegan writes, “I can only imagine he’s been in the Tim Tebow praying position ever since Bobby V’s name came up in the managerial search.”
Beckett (above) has no one but himself to blame for this predicament. He was the ring leader of the beer guzzling, fried chicken eating band of merry men. Welcome to reality Josh, your days of leading teammates down the wrong path just came to an abrupt halt. Isn’t Bobby V. exactly what Larry Lucchino was looking for? A person with a history of being volatile with his players. A manger with a take no prisoners approach. I still think Theo was behind the whole; let’s find us an inexperienced manager to fill Francona’s slot theory. It never made sense. This is a team of veterans who are headstrong and beat to their own drums. We all thought Jason Varitek had the respect from the players in the clubhouse but that wasn’t the case at all. I for one never thought Dale Sveum was the answer for this team and thankfully so did the Red Sox ownership. Yes, poor little Ben Cherington got his feelings hurt in the process, he will survive.
I realize it’s tempting to assume Valentine will arrive at spring training looking to bury Beckett and Carl Crawford at every available opportunity, but keep in mind, the former Rangers / Mets skipper has a habit of embracing (fellow) pariahs. Recall if you will, the time he misquoted Cal Ripken Jr. in an attempt to bolster Armando Benitez’ reputation.