Bobby Valentine is what Mariners need
Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008 6:12 PM
I had to count the years to be sure. Yes, it has been six years since Bobby Valentine managed in the major leagues.
Since his exile from being the manager of the Mets, Valentine has spent one year at ESPN followed by five years managing in Japan. Out of sight, out of mind -- maybe in most cases but not when you have a strong track record and loyal friends like Valentine does. Thus we read last week of Valentine’s connection with new Seattle general manager GM Jack Zduriencik, with whom Valentine has a history when both worked for the Mets.
Reports are that Boston bench coach Brad Mills will kick off the interview derby for Seattle and there is no confirmation of Valentine being in the group that gets talked to about the position. But Seattle could do much worse than turning to Valentine.
Now I don’t know if Valentine would be willing to go through the interview process. I’m not sure if I can see him agreeing to be part of a derby with men who either haven’t managed or can’t match his track record. And I’m not sure if Seattle management is willing to risk a stroll with Valentine’s dominant personality.
But here’s my take: If the Mariners want to win, if they want to restore the winning vibe that has slowly disappeared since Lou Piniella left town (Bob Melvin had a fine first post-Piniella year but that’s been about it), then they turn to Valentine.
Valentine can manage. He is as good a manager for one game as I witnessed in over two decades as a broadcaster.
How about how good he is as a manager overall? Well, look at the records of his Mets the first four years he managed them -- a team mired in losing won 88, 88, 97 and 94 games.
Is he a long-term answer for Seattle? That’s a legitimate question. Reflecting on 2002 -- his final year with the Mets and my first broadcasting for the team -- it seems clear that Valentine’s time was up. There was too much tension with then Mets general manager Steve Phillips. Familiarity bred contempt with veteran players -- several of whom told ownership at season’s end that a managerial change was needed.
It looks like I paint a picture of Valentine as short-term fix. And that’s precisely why I think he’s a good fit for Seattle. The Mariners can’t afford to lose the momentum of the Griffey-A-Rod-Edgar-Piniella-Safeco-era. A moribund franchise became one of the game’s healthiest in that era. Because it is in danger of slipping into a comatose state, a jolt is needed. Who better to restore winning, who better to guide Ichiro into his later years, who better to connect with a terrific fan base -- all in the short term -- than a proven winner by the name of Valentine, who would surely know a gig in Seattle would be his next stop and possibly last stop skippering in the big leagues.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. THE NL CY YOUNG…is announced Tuesday and the assumption in San Francisco is that Tim Lincecum will win the award. He has won two awards voted on by players since the season ended.
His season is certainly worthy of the Cy Young as is the incredible second half of CC Sabathia (my original choice for the award) and Johan Santana (who became my choice for the Cy Young after talking to a Mets’ insider who emphasized Santana’s role in trying to heal a fractured clubhouse).
Santana matched or bettered Lincecum in all numbers but wins (the Mets’ bullpen blew seven Santana wins) and then there is the pressure factor: Lincecum (through no fault of his own) had none; Santana thrived under immense and unimaginable pressure.
2. JAKE PEAVY IS ABOUT TO BE TRADED…and I looked back at my October posts to see how wrong I was -- not a first! I saw this as a shrewd move by Sandy Alderson. Although I still see Alderson as a top-notch executive, we now know that the Padres are being decimated by the divorce of owner John Moores. And the fine farm system built by the Braves seems to give them the edge in landing Peavy.
3. GLAD TO SEE A GOOD MAN IN WILLIE RANDOLPH…land as the new Brewers bench coach. Credit to recently hired Milwaukee manager Ken Macha for offering the job to a fellow finalist in the Brewer’s search for a new skipper. Also, give credit to Randolph for accepting work with a team that twice interviewed him for manager but both times hired others for job.
4. SCOTT BORAS ISN’T THE ONLY AGENT…that shoots for the moon. Rafael Furcal played 36 games this year and is coming off a significant back injury. His agent is asking for a four-year deal. Absurd, right? Yes, but never count out the possibility such an absurd demand will be incredulously met by some team.
5. JUAN CRUZ…is a free agent of high intrigue. With Arizona he finally put a good year together in a small sampling (51 innings pitched) as a set-up reliever. Now the 30-year-old right-hander is on the open market in an offseason when many teams are looking for bullpen help. At his age, does he land a significant deal even though -- as a Type-A free agent -- he would cost the team signing him a first-round draft choice?
