Opinion: Bobby Valentine and the Mets
In a post to Mets Police, Shannon Shark explains why Bobby Valentine is the only man for the manager’s job in 2010.
Actually, I have been thinking a lot about 
Valentine, as well, ever since he officially announced on his blog that he will not be returning to Japan. Yes, he has his own blog.
The thing is, I am not sure Jerry Manuel has done anything to warrant being fired. Frankly, I think he’s done an admirable job navigating through this 2009 injury-storm.
As I have written before, the way I understand it, Omar Minaya and Manuel are tied to the hip. In short, if Minaya is ever fired, the new GM will hold Manuel’s future in his hand. But, under no circumstance will Minaya be firing Manuel.
In a poll on MetsBlog.com in June, 97 percent of 5,000 voters said they still have a positive view of Valentine.
I love Bobby V, too. I think he’s brilliant, albeit avante garde and controversial, he’s entertaining, he’s unique, he’s feisty, players either love him or hate him and because of this he seems to get the most out everyone – including us.
Reporters and baseball people often ask ask me why I like Bobby V so much, seeing as he never won a World Series while with the Mets. And that’s the thing, think about it: he lost to the freakin’ Yankees in the World Series… the Yankees… in a World Series… yet, 97 percent of us still like him. I mean, you need to be a pretty special personality to pull off losing to the Yankees, and the Braves, yet retain that level of goodwill. Look, it’s pretty simple: he’s an underdog, he’s unique, he’s a fighter and he wears his passion on his sleeve, just like we do, and so I think he connects with fans in a way that most managers do not – including Manuel, Joe Torre, and others.
That said, for the most part, Valentine seems to work best with disciplined, selfless talent, most of whom are primed to buy in to his style of play. For instance, I think David Wright would do well with Valentine, but I think Jose Reyes would struggle. So, if the Mets intend to rely on the Gary Sheffields of the world, the Carlos Delgado, Valentine should never return. However, if the Mets plan to build a team around hit-and-runs, less power and more doubles in the gap, timely stolen bases, bunting, a versatile bullpen, and basically play chess on a baseball field, Valentine is the best man for the job.
Last month, during an interview with ESPN 1050, Michael Kay asked Valentine if he would ever manage the Mets again.
Valentine did not answer the question directly, of course, though he was sure to say Manuel is a good manager for this team.
However, he did point out that his departure from the Mets was ‘not bad at all,’ noting the ‘personalities’ who he had issues with, and who had issues with him, are no longer with the organization.
From what I can gather, this is true. In talking with people close to the team, I believe ownership and Minaya still like Valentine, and continue to have a good relationship with him. It sounds to me like he and Minaya have remained remained in contact, as their relationship goes back a long, long way.
The thing is, a) the Mets have a manager they like, though they’re not against change, and b) ultimately, I sense the Mets view Valentine as a part of their past; so if they do make a change, they’ll be more inclined to move forward, not back.
