So, our long national nightmare is over. Bobby Valentine has been selected as the 45th manager of your Boston Red Sox. He's from Connecticut. Plus. He managed the Mets—whose fans are the only ones who might just hate the Yankees more than we do. Plus. He will probably not tolerate Popeye's and Bud Light in the clubhouse. Plus. He invented the wrap sandwich. Uhh....jury is still out.From where we sit, Valentine was the only logical choice from the final two. Gene Lamont is undoubtedly a good guy, and he probably would have been a fine manager. I'm sure he also enjoys long walks on the beach. But he is boring and his "kick-ass" bona fides are unknown. The collective yawn from The Nation that his hiring would have induced would be deafening.
There is a clear loser in this hire. Ben Cherington did not get his first choice, so the first impression we have is that he was out-maneuvered by Larry Lucchino. His power is in roughly the same proportion as Dmitri Medvedev's is to Valdimir Putin's. For those of you unfamiliar with Russian politics, let's just say it's not good for BenCher.
Time will tell whether Bobby V. can whip this talented but tainted club into championship form. Let the honeymoon begin—until May 1.
(Photo / Stamford Advocate)