chicot60
10-04-2012, 06:43 PM
Bobby Valentine Fired
The Boston Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine on Thursday, one day after completing the franchise's worst season in nearly five decades.
Valentine finished with a record of 69-93 on a team that was beset by injuries before management gave up on this season and traded some of its best players -- and biggest salaries. Without Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, the Red Sox will save $250 million in future salaries and have a chance to rebuild over the winter.
But that will be too late for Valentine, who managed the Red Sox to their highest single-season loss total since 1965.
"I understand this decision," Valentine said. "This year in Boston has been an incredible experience for me, but I am as disappointed in the results as are ownership and the great fans of Red Sox Nation. It was a privilege to be part of the 100-year anniversary of Fenway Park and an honor to be in uniform with such great players and coaches. My best to the organization.
"I'm sure next year will be a turnaround year."
Boston hired Valentine, 62, last December following the fallout of the 2011 season, when the Red Sox collapsed in September and missed the postseason. The unprecedented late-season swoon led to a tumultuous offseason in Boston, as the Red Sox parted ways with then-manager Terry Francona and saw general manager Theo Epstein bolt for the Chicago Cubs.
A baseball savant who won the NL pennant with the New York Mets and won it all in Japan, Valentine was brought in after Francona appeared to lose control of the clubhouse. But the players who had been coddled under Francona bristled under Valentine's abrasive style and, more importantly, didn't win for him, either.
Known for his fiery personality, Valentine clashed with Red Sox players and the media throughout the season. As early as April, he said fan favorite Kevin Youkilis wasn't "as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason."
At the beginning of September he was asked on Boston radio station WEEI if he had checked out. He replied: "What an embarrassing thing to say. You know if I was there, I'd punch you in the mouth."
And as recently as Wednesday, Valentine accused some on his coaching staff of undermining him.
"Our 2012 season was disappointing for many reasons," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "No single issue is the reason, and no single individual is to blame. We've been making personnel changes since August, and we will continue to do so as we build a contending club."
Cherington said he will lead the search for Boston's next manager. Reached by ESPNBoston.com, Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar said he has not been informed whether he will return to the team. His contract expires at the end of October.
Despite entering with a star-studded roster and a payroll of more than $146 million, the Red Sox were plagued by injuries all season. David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and Andrew Bailey all missed significant portions of the season on the disabled list.
"With an historic number of injuries, Bobby was dealt a difficult hand," Cherington said. "He did the best he could under seriously adverse circumstances, and I am thankful to him."
The Red Sox used 56 players in 2012, the most in club history.
"This year's won-loss record reflects a season of agony," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. "It begs for changes, some of which have already transpired. More will come. We are determined to fix that which is broken and return the Red Sox to the level of success we have experienced over the past decade.
"Difficult as it is to judge a manager amid a season that had an epidemic of injuries, we feel we need to make changes. Bobby leaves the Red Sox manager's office with our respect, gratitude and affection. I have no doubt that he will continue to contribute to the game he loves so much and knows so well."
More On The Red Sox
Gordon Edes and the rest of the ESPNBoston.com team have the Red Sox covered for you. Blog
Valentine's tenure ended at the hands of the Yankees, the American League East champions, who swept the Red Sox in a series that ended on Wednesday night in New York.
"This season was by far the worst we have experienced in over 10 years here. Ultimately, we are all collectively responsible for the team's performance," Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said. "We are going to be working tirelessly to reconstruct the ballclub for 2013. We'll be back.
"We thank Bobby for the many contributions he made and for the energy he brought each day. He is a baseball man through and through."
A year after a 7-20 September cost the Red Sox a chance at the postseason, the club went 7-22 this September and October. But unlike 2011, when the team took a nine-game lead into the final month, Boston was never competitive under Valentine.
Although there were some loose ends to tie up -- namely, the final three dozen meaningless games of the season -- the year effectively ended on Aug. 24, when Gonzalez was scratched from the lineup of a game against the Kansas City Royals. The next day, the three high-priced but underperforming players were shipped to Los Angeles and Cherington explained: "It gives us an opportunity to build the next great Red Sox team."
Cherington's work can begin in earnest now that the regular season is over and the Red Sox have missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.
"Obviously it wasn't what I set out to do," Valentine said last week before the home finale at Fenway Park. "When you don't accomplish what you set out to do, you don't feel like you've done a good job. Simple."
http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/8461424/boston-red-sox-fire-manager-bobby-valentine-one-season
The Boston Red Sox fired manager Bobby Valentine on Thursday, one day after completing the franchise's worst season in nearly five decades.
Valentine finished with a record of 69-93 on a team that was beset by injuries before management gave up on this season and traded some of its best players -- and biggest salaries. Without Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, the Red Sox will save $250 million in future salaries and have a chance to rebuild over the winter.
But that will be too late for Valentine, who managed the Red Sox to their highest single-season loss total since 1965.
"I understand this decision," Valentine said. "This year in Boston has been an incredible experience for me, but I am as disappointed in the results as are ownership and the great fans of Red Sox Nation. It was a privilege to be part of the 100-year anniversary of Fenway Park and an honor to be in uniform with such great players and coaches. My best to the organization.
"I'm sure next year will be a turnaround year."
Boston hired Valentine, 62, last December following the fallout of the 2011 season, when the Red Sox collapsed in September and missed the postseason. The unprecedented late-season swoon led to a tumultuous offseason in Boston, as the Red Sox parted ways with then-manager Terry Francona and saw general manager Theo Epstein bolt for the Chicago Cubs.
A baseball savant who won the NL pennant with the New York Mets and won it all in Japan, Valentine was brought in after Francona appeared to lose control of the clubhouse. But the players who had been coddled under Francona bristled under Valentine's abrasive style and, more importantly, didn't win for him, either.
Known for his fiery personality, Valentine clashed with Red Sox players and the media throughout the season. As early as April, he said fan favorite Kevin Youkilis wasn't "as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason."
At the beginning of September he was asked on Boston radio station WEEI if he had checked out. He replied: "What an embarrassing thing to say. You know if I was there, I'd punch you in the mouth."
And as recently as Wednesday, Valentine accused some on his coaching staff of undermining him.
"Our 2012 season was disappointing for many reasons," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "No single issue is the reason, and no single individual is to blame. We've been making personnel changes since August, and we will continue to do so as we build a contending club."
Cherington said he will lead the search for Boston's next manager. Reached by ESPNBoston.com, Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar said he has not been informed whether he will return to the team. His contract expires at the end of October.
Despite entering with a star-studded roster and a payroll of more than $146 million, the Red Sox were plagued by injuries all season. David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and Andrew Bailey all missed significant portions of the season on the disabled list.
"With an historic number of injuries, Bobby was dealt a difficult hand," Cherington said. "He did the best he could under seriously adverse circumstances, and I am thankful to him."
The Red Sox used 56 players in 2012, the most in club history.
"This year's won-loss record reflects a season of agony," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. "It begs for changes, some of which have already transpired. More will come. We are determined to fix that which is broken and return the Red Sox to the level of success we have experienced over the past decade.
"Difficult as it is to judge a manager amid a season that had an epidemic of injuries, we feel we need to make changes. Bobby leaves the Red Sox manager's office with our respect, gratitude and affection. I have no doubt that he will continue to contribute to the game he loves so much and knows so well."
More On The Red Sox
Gordon Edes and the rest of the ESPNBoston.com team have the Red Sox covered for you. Blog
Valentine's tenure ended at the hands of the Yankees, the American League East champions, who swept the Red Sox in a series that ended on Wednesday night in New York.
"This season was by far the worst we have experienced in over 10 years here. Ultimately, we are all collectively responsible for the team's performance," Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said. "We are going to be working tirelessly to reconstruct the ballclub for 2013. We'll be back.
"We thank Bobby for the many contributions he made and for the energy he brought each day. He is a baseball man through and through."
A year after a 7-20 September cost the Red Sox a chance at the postseason, the club went 7-22 this September and October. But unlike 2011, when the team took a nine-game lead into the final month, Boston was never competitive under Valentine.
Although there were some loose ends to tie up -- namely, the final three dozen meaningless games of the season -- the year effectively ended on Aug. 24, when Gonzalez was scratched from the lineup of a game against the Kansas City Royals. The next day, the three high-priced but underperforming players were shipped to Los Angeles and Cherington explained: "It gives us an opportunity to build the next great Red Sox team."
Cherington's work can begin in earnest now that the regular season is over and the Red Sox have missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.
"Obviously it wasn't what I set out to do," Valentine said last week before the home finale at Fenway Park. "When you don't accomplish what you set out to do, you don't feel like you've done a good job. Simple."
http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/8461424/boston-red-sox-fire-manager-bobby-valentine-one-season