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To be fair, Bobby Valentine was probably doomed from the start. Reportedly, Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington was not in favor of the hire from the beginning, he was the "suggestion" of team President and CEO Larry Lucchino. Red Sox players knew that Valentine, who was on a cheap two-year deal, did not have ownership's full support which almost immediately tilted the balance of power in their favor. Bobby Valentine's sharp tongue with the press ensured that he would get in conflict with the famously tough local media. The man Valentine was replacing, cheap packers jerseys Terry Francona, was beloved among Red Sox fans, most of whom were quick to sour on Valentine as soon as the Youkilis incident. Months into a two-year contract, Valentine found himself without support, so even if he had not made so many public blunders and the Red Sox had not played so poorly under his watch, his time may have been short. There's something to be said about the fact that, seemingly aware of this, he decided to be himself to the very end. There's something nearly admirable, if not entirely likable, about such near-suicidal stubbornness.
It is easy to attack Valentine, as well as incredibly fun, but the real onus should be on Red Sox ownership for hiring him in the first place and then offering him very little support. The thinking supposedly was they would hire someone who had the opposite of Francona's "player's manager" temperament, but then seemed to take the players' side when he inevitably got into public conflict with them. cheap college football jerseys In essence, they hired someone who was probably an ill-fit to begin with, and then didn't give him any support whatsoever. In medical terms, like diarrhea or vomiting, Bobby Valentine was more of an unpleasant symptom than the disease here.
Who knows? A part of me wonders if the Red Sox knew this was a transition year, and that whoever replaced Terry Francona was doomed to fail. Maybe Valentine was brought in with the idea either he would somehow bring an unexpected spark to a team with chemistry issues, and failing that, he would be the sacrificial lamb. Valentine would absorb a lot of the blame and vitriol, and whoever replaced him would get a benefit of the doubt that Francona's successor was never going to get. Maybe owner John Henry, custom soccer jerseys cheap along with Lucchino and Cherington, are playing the long, LONG game here.
Regardless, Bobby Valentine has more than earned his reputation as one of the worst managers in Red Sox history. The Red Sox will search for a new manager, and all indications are that Cherington may actually get to pick his own this time. Whoever the next manager is - rumors persist that Toronto Blue Jays' manager John Farrell is the organization's first choice - chances are that he will have the early support from both players and fans by virtue, and I do mean virtue, of not being Bobby Valentine.
What started in March with the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics playing in Tokyo has come to a close here in October. Playoff baseball is upon us, meaning the regular season is complete - 162 games played by 30 Major League teams - which to some may seem like a lot, but to baseball fans is as perfect a number as you can get. green bay packers jersey cheap It seems like it began yesterday, but strangely, at the same time, it also feels like a long time ago. Remember when the Miami Marlins were a big deal? When Mike Trout and Bryce Harper weren't playing big league ball? When Mariano Rivera was closing games? A long time ago. Then again, there is so much action over the course of a six month season that it can just fly by, that is, unless you are in Boston. We've had perfect games, no-hitters, underdogs one-upping establishments, PED controversies, text message scandals, courtroom drama, blockbuster deals, a triple crown winner (a rarity regardless what you think of it), a four home run game, milestones, some incredible seasons from pitchers and the usual assortment of out-of-this-world defense mixed in with some wild comebacks.
That was yesterday, now we move to the next stage, the playoffs. For the first time we have ten teams, with the two wild-card teams playing a single game for the right to move on to the Divisional Series. cheap hotel in new jersey It works, and it means that Friday is going to make for a phenomenal day of baseball. Before we get to the ten teams that made the initial cut, I just want to say one thing. There has been some talk that the best team in baseball is not in these playoffs. Yes, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are an immensely talented group of players, but they had 162 games to prove they belong in the postseason and they failed. How can you call a team like that the best team in baseball? I don't see them in the below matchups.
The Cardinals were beaten 3-1 at home by the Cincinnati Reds, but the Los Angeles Dodgers who had to win to stay alive in the fight for the second and final wild-card berth then lost 4-3 to the San Francisco Giants. St Louis will play the one-off wild-card game at the Atlanta Braves on Friday, with the winner to progress to the National League divisional series, which already features the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati and San Francisco.
It is easy to attack Valentine, as well as incredibly fun, but the real onus should be on Red Sox ownership for hiring him in the first place and then offering him very little support. The thinking supposedly was they would hire someone who had the opposite of Francona's "player's manager" temperament, but then seemed to take the players' side when he inevitably got into public conflict with them. cheap college football jerseys In essence, they hired someone who was probably an ill-fit to begin with, and then didn't give him any support whatsoever. In medical terms, like diarrhea or vomiting, Bobby Valentine was more of an unpleasant symptom than the disease here.
Who knows? A part of me wonders if the Red Sox knew this was a transition year, and that whoever replaced Terry Francona was doomed to fail. Maybe Valentine was brought in with the idea either he would somehow bring an unexpected spark to a team with chemistry issues, and failing that, he would be the sacrificial lamb. Valentine would absorb a lot of the blame and vitriol, and whoever replaced him would get a benefit of the doubt that Francona's successor was never going to get. Maybe owner John Henry, custom soccer jerseys cheap along with Lucchino and Cherington, are playing the long, LONG game here.
Regardless, Bobby Valentine has more than earned his reputation as one of the worst managers in Red Sox history. The Red Sox will search for a new manager, and all indications are that Cherington may actually get to pick his own this time. Whoever the next manager is - rumors persist that Toronto Blue Jays' manager John Farrell is the organization's first choice - chances are that he will have the early support from both players and fans by virtue, and I do mean virtue, of not being Bobby Valentine.
What started in March with the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics playing in Tokyo has come to a close here in October. Playoff baseball is upon us, meaning the regular season is complete - 162 games played by 30 Major League teams - which to some may seem like a lot, but to baseball fans is as perfect a number as you can get. green bay packers jersey cheap It seems like it began yesterday, but strangely, at the same time, it also feels like a long time ago. Remember when the Miami Marlins were a big deal? When Mike Trout and Bryce Harper weren't playing big league ball? When Mariano Rivera was closing games? A long time ago. Then again, there is so much action over the course of a six month season that it can just fly by, that is, unless you are in Boston. We've had perfect games, no-hitters, underdogs one-upping establishments, PED controversies, text message scandals, courtroom drama, blockbuster deals, a triple crown winner (a rarity regardless what you think of it), a four home run game, milestones, some incredible seasons from pitchers and the usual assortment of out-of-this-world defense mixed in with some wild comebacks.
That was yesterday, now we move to the next stage, the playoffs. For the first time we have ten teams, with the two wild-card teams playing a single game for the right to move on to the Divisional Series. cheap hotel in new jersey It works, and it means that Friday is going to make for a phenomenal day of baseball. Before we get to the ten teams that made the initial cut, I just want to say one thing. There has been some talk that the best team in baseball is not in these playoffs. Yes, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are an immensely talented group of players, but they had 162 games to prove they belong in the postseason and they failed. How can you call a team like that the best team in baseball? I don't see them in the below matchups.
The Cardinals were beaten 3-1 at home by the Cincinnati Reds, but the Los Angeles Dodgers who had to win to stay alive in the fight for the second and final wild-card berth then lost 4-3 to the San Francisco Giants. St Louis will play the one-off wild-card game at the Atlanta Braves on Friday, with the winner to progress to the National League divisional series, which already features the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati and San Francisco.
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