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August 20, 2012

Out of Left Field

Bobby Valentine's Communications Problem

by Matthew Kory

It’s no secret that there have been some problems with the Red Sox recently. Or, if it is a secret, whoops. Sorry. Cat’s out of the bag. So now you know if you didn’t already. There are issues in Red Sox land. Some have regarded those issues as holdovers from last season when things turned bad like cheese left out during a month long vacay to Maui. To others, the peculiar peccadilloes of this particular… uh, season, can be traced back to once single source: manager Bobby Valentine.

Valentine took over the team from Terry Francona, who was adept at handing the personal interaction side of managing in Boston. He was good with the players, he was good with the press. But those strengths belied a laissez faire attitude that permeated the Red Sox clubhouse, an attitude that some say led to the team’s downfall last September. That and also some incredibly awful baseball.

Bobby Valentine was hired to put a professional face on things, to be more a Manager (capital “M”) and less a friend. Because being friendly with players is a huge, huge problem and don’t ask why because duh you totally know.

Much was known about Valentine when he was hired. That he managed the Mets, that he managed a team in Texas before they moved to Washington, D.C. – bet you didn’t even know Texas ever had a team! – and that he spent significant time in Japan playing a sport similar to baseball while drinking beer named after himself.

But even back during Valentine’s interview with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, there were hints that communication might be an issue.

Ben Cherington: Welcome to Boston, Mr. Valentine. Have a seat.
Bobby Valentine: [sitting] Please, call me Mr. Valentine.
Cherington: Uh, I did.
Valentine: Flying start then!
Cherington: I suppose so.
Cherington: So, we’re looking for someone who can come in and impose a bit of authority on the clubhouse. We’ve got a good veteran core but they’ve been coddled a bit. How would you assert your authority in the clubhouse?
Valentine: Oh, that’s an easy one. First, I’d find the hardest-working, most-respected guy in the clubhouse and then call him out in the press for being lazy and ill respected.
Cherington: Ha ha ha! Good one! I love a manager with a sense of humor.
Valentine: Ha ha ha!