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| Bobby V. Now Has To Go (Reuters) |
This site has generally been sympathetic to the plight of
Bobby Valentine. He was hired against the wishes of his General Manager. He was ostensibly brought in to 'kick butt', but when he did show some backbone, he was smacked down by ownership. He inherited an entitled clubhouse that ran a player-friendly manager out of town. He was forced to field a AAA team after a huge—albeit badly needed—trade. You had to feel for the guy. But his behavior over the last few days has changed our view. In a way, it seems that Valentine is begging his masters to fire him. First, he calls out his roster as "the weakest roster we've ever had in September in the history of baseball." Great, that should help things! Then, yesterday, he embarrassed a young prospect by pinch-hitting for him in the middle of an at-bat. These two actions have shifted the paradigm from one of 'Bobby as victim' to one of 'Bobby as perpetrator'. He is making a mockery of himself, his players, the city and the fans.
He has crossed the line. He should be fired immediately.
