I've never understood why Valentine's name is always mentioned so often and with such awe when a premier managerial job opens up. In all his years on the bench, he has 1 NL pennant on his resume. That's it. 1. And his personality usually gets him on everyone's bad side - players, management, fans, media.

I thought this was a bad mix and a bad hire from day one and my prediction is that he'll be fired before the season ends.

You said it. I had to listen to this fool in NY almost everyday, he is a nasty, know it all who routinely leaks info(right or wrong) to the media to "discipline" his players. I would rather have Girardi as our manager and I hate him.

He had his father-in-law on the field to throw out a first pitch.

As they hugged (I'm almost sure I saw it), Branca lips said: I have no idea what my daughter sees in you. Give me my $300 and I'm outta here...

Well if you want to grade him today, but not for the other 3 games, of the series that really doesn't seem all that fair to me. But thats cool. We were 2-10 last year on April 15th, and with everyone on the team presumably healthy and all the players reportedly happy as a clam with their Manager.

So far, after beating a team 3 out of 4 ( and pounding their pitching in most of the series ) that finished ahead of us the last 2 seasons, I'm in a much more optimistic mood than on April 15th of last season. I'm liking this WAY more so far. We'll see what the future holds.

LOL and no surprise.

The only bright side(for me) on the Valentine signing was that I'm in NY and wouldn't have to listen to his divisive drivel on a regular basis. Then that other NY idiot(Michael Kay) gets him as a regular guest on his drive home radio show. Is there no merciful God?

you want to borrow my punch pillow to punch which a use to let off steam (its also cheeper then punching a wall or throwing a tv into the pool like hulk hogan

Obviously you never watch ML baseball games. When the manager is considering changing pitchers HE goes to the mound, not the pitching coach. So your thinking is exactly the REVERSE of the actual situation. Bard didn't have to talk the pitching coach "in to" anything. The only way he WAS going to be taken out in that situation would have been if he said "you HAVE to take me out, I'm done."

The Red Sox arn't paying their Manager for how he talks on a radio station. Thats stuff is irrelevant. Have you ever listened to a Bill Belichick post game press conference or on the radio as a guest ? Belichick is better for inducing sleep than Sominex. He's boring beyond belief.He talks like he's perpetually constipated. On the other hand Rex Ryan of the Jets is a funny and glib goof in interviews... but he suc @ks as a Head Coach.

We were at the game and after the first walk to load the bases, I ran to the bathroom figuring Bard was coming out since he was CLEARLY spent. And before I get back, he still in there walking in the winning run!
But the genius "KNOWS" Youk is slacking!!

I'm betting on The Brick Salesman as being the real problem child in that organization.
Ben will do whatever he has to to keep his job, but the facts are that The Wonder Boy scrwed the organization over with HORRENDOUS long-term exceedingly expensive signings.

Thanks but no thanks quacky, I'd rather jsut wait until I see him then Whammo!

Unlike Belichick, who has won and is not constantly losing his job because he is universally hated by the FO, fans and players at every stop he has made, Valentine is a loser through and through. No one being of sound mind can stomach him for more than a few weeks.

Apparently lost in all of this handwringing over BV and Bard, is the fact we got a measely 4 hits today.

BV went to the pitchers mound today... arguably a batter or 2 too late.

But BV never went near the batters box either. His hitter's bats... that wacked around Rays pitching pretty good the last few games,.... were silent today. Is BV responsible for his team not putting up a single run today ? Just askin', mind you

This is already the 2nd time he has admitted to a mistake. The other time hoping Thomas got an out. After last year, every game counts. He can't keep making mistakes and apologizing for it, before we know it, his mistakes could cost the team the playoffs.

agree.. But it was kind of a joke lester :)

I can't can't stomach Belichick. He was shown to be a cheater. But I love his Coaching, and perfectly happy to watch the Pats win all these playoff games and Super Bowls. But Belichick is one pain in the behind... but few care, ( including me ) as he wins.

I do not know why he had Albers warming up but Valentine could not bring in Albers to face Longoria. Bard had pitched well enough that he had earned the right to try to get out of that jam. Facing Pena? Thats a tough call. That's where a lefty specialist will be very helpful and the Sox have a very good one rehabbing right now. Also, its too bad they couldn't have run up Shields pitch count faster. That Tampa pen is very shakey.

More than anything players... hitters, batters... want some consistency on how the ump calls balls and strikes. Each ump has their style of game they call. Some umps give pitchers some lattitude, while some have a rather " small strike zone " for the game they are working. Hitters over the course of the game begin to adjust as to the strike zone tendencies of te partucular ump working the game that day, or they know the tendencies of the umps strike zone by reputation.

I'm not blaming the home plate ump for this loss, but he was very inconsistent all day, imo. With both teams. He definately had a wider strike zone in the later innings than eartlier in the game , imo. Maybe the heat temps were getting to him, and we wanted to get the game over quickly, who knows... but he squeezed some hitters in this one, especially Ross in his last at bat... with a more than liberal strike zone, and much more liberal strike zone than the ump had in earlier innings, imo.

Just change your sign-on here to Dr. Dr. TrueValentine, PhD and get it over with.