Bobby V – Nutcase or Genius?
| Cleveland Indians manager candidate Bobby Valentine |
Anyone who has had the chance to view Bobby Valentine press conference yesterday have to wonder exactly what they just saw (video is above). I know I was. Valentine, a longtime baseball man who is respected and revered by some and disliked and reviled by others, put on a show with the media after his six hour interview with GM Mark Shapiro and assistant Chris Antonetti.
He had some strange and different answers to the questions the media peppered him with. For example, when asked about the team, he was overly candid:
“I don’t know as much about Cleveland as someone interviewing for their manager’s job probably should. I could have crammed for the last six days, read every article and called every friend to get every bit of information just in case one of guys asked me who the starting third baseman is going to be next year. I didn’t do it.”
“I can tell you that I don’t know about the American League. I don’t know about the Central. I don’t know about the Indians. But I sure as hell am willing to learn, and spend 28 hours a day if necessary, to know everything that I could possibly know.”
After reading that, don’t you think that he probably isn’t all that interested in taking over this team? Shapiro and Antonetti are stat-a-holics who loved to analyze numbers. Valentine made it out to sound as if he barely knows who the players are, let alone their abilities.
As for why he would want to take this particular job after admitting he is “a bad:
“This is an opportunity to manage a major-league team with a group of major-league class people. I’d almost have to ask why wouldn’t I want the opportunity? . . . It’s one of the best ballparks in the world. They asked me at ESPN, “Why do you want to go there? Why wouldn’t I?”
After watching this video I came away with two thoughts:
1. This guy is the complete opposite of every other candidate for the job (kinda like when Costanza interviewed for a job with the Yankees).
2. There is no way that Shapiro and Antonetti are going to hire him.
Thing is, maybe they should. He is completely out of the box for them. He won’t be in lockstep with the front office, which could be a good thing, plus his time in Japan may actually bring something new and fresh that could work here in Cleveland. If Valentine is a train wreck in two-three years, then move on to someone else. What do they have to lose?
Money – that is what. In the end, the money is what is going to become the issue in trying to lure Valentine. If he is their man, he is not going to come on the cheap. The Dolan’s have wasted their money on guys like David Dellucci, Jason Michaels, Jason Johnson, and Masa Kobayashi. Stepping up to pay Valentine is a risk worth taking.
video courtesy of Cleveland.com
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I am all for hiring this nutjob.
He might be crazy, but he knows baseball and I think our young guys will react to him favorably.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Lets get Bobby V! It’s about time we got a character in the clubhouse.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I am 100% in favor of hiring him. A different voice from the corporate-speak front office is desperately needed on this team.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Thrashes his mic three seconds in.
On why he wants the job: “I’m a baseball manager. And they’re looking to hire one of those type guys.”
Brilliant.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm
He might be nutcase, but hey, have you ever been to Cleveland? He’ll fit right in here. HAHA.
He’s always been a good manager from what I remember. He seems like he wants the job… I give him props for admitting he didn’t study up on who should play third. Also, admitting you have no friends… I love it.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
“plus his time in Japan may actually bring something new and fresh that could work here in Cleveland.”
Such as?
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Hire him. This team is going to suck, you may as well at least have some entertainment to go along with it. After this interview, I’m all for it.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I don’t know how anyone can possibly be a good manager if they don’t know how to transition quantified OPS+ parameters in negatively statused environments using meaningfully leveraged methodologies. Going forward, that is.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
@ #5 – maybe he can roll good sushi?
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
@ MrCleaveland – very nice.
@ LaundroMat – well you know… playing in the park… throwing balls at walls… etc haha
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Its almost like he took the Costanza “say the opposite of what you mean” approach to trying to get hired. He must have forgotten that only works when interviewing with Steinbrenner……
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I absolutely love Bobby Valentine. After watching that video, I am convinced that hiring him would be a complete disaster. I’m sorry, I just don’t see how hiring someone who knows nothing about the team, the division, the league…hell, I’m not sure what exactly he does know right now….I’m not sure how hiring him is going to help the Indians, other than giving the fans a bunch of exciting and funny press conferences to watch.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
“…other than giving the fans a bunch of exciting and funny press conferences to watch.
My expectations are so incredibly low, I would actually settle for this.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Valentine will sell tickets. So will Mattingly. Neither Acta nor Lovullo will.
Dolan has got to take that into consideration.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Aren’t we making the genius vs. nutcase argument enough these days with Cleveland coaches?
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I am NOT in favor of hiring this man, that interview was atrocious.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
There has to be someone left in the Parcells/Belichick tree we’ve overlooked to place all our faith in, again. I see no need to stray from this formula, regardless of which sport is in question.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:12 pm
# 13 wins today.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Isn’t this EXACTLY what we want? A Guy that doesn’t know jack about the team and can come in with a fresh take, adequately assess who’s best for which position, and then play them there? Sign me up for Bobby V.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Look-he’s just playing in the very long-shot that the Indians would break the bank. We all know that’s not going to happen……….next rookie candidate please raise your hand.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Next rookie candidate…..what, like Mattingly? You’re such a hypocrite Isis.
October 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
“Do I know what product I’m selling? No. Do I know where I am today? No. But I’m here, and I’m gonna give it my best shot.”
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
This guy is just arrogant and unprepared. One the one hand I really do think that they need to bring in somebody from outside the org that can give a fresh, honest take on the failings (and strengths, what few there are) of the current roster and coaching and player development staffs. But Valentine can’t give an articulate answer about why he should be hired, he just thinks that he “deserves” to be one of the “special” people that get to manage an MLB club.
Well you know what, eff this guy. Are we supposed to believe that this guy who was totally, obviously unprepared for this interview is going to suddenly start working his ass off to make this team better once he gets the job. No way, absolutely no way do I want anything to do with this jackass.
(I’m not sure what I think of Acta though, either. I’m afraid he’s a little too close temperamentally to the “relentless communicator”, aka the Grinder. I’m probably mostly in favor of Mattingly or the Angels guy at this point)
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I personally believe that U.S. American Leaguers are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our division don’t have players and, uh, I believe that our, uh, farm system like such as in, uh, South Ohio and, uh, the Gateway and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our player development over here in the A.L. should help the A.L., uh, should help South Ohio and should help Gateway and the Minor League Teams, so we will be able to build up our future for our players.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:20 pm
If we gave out cash awards for Comment of the Day, and site staff was eligible, Scott would easily win today.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:25 pm
@14
A manager doesn’t sell tickets. Wins does.
They could bring back Omar Vizquel and Sandy Alomar to co-manage the team and by the time we hit June the novelty will have warn off and if we’re not winning we’ll have the same attendance that we always do.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Wow. Just… Wow.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
@26
dwhit, I’m talking about selling tickets between now and April. A new manager can have an effect on that.
@24
Scott, you magnificent airhead!
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Valentine’s lack of information on the Tribe is expected. The Tribe seems, outside of Cleveland, irrelevant. To keep up with the Tribe, with their staggering transience and without getting paid for it, enjoying it as a hobby, or blogging, would require unusual dedication. If Valentine was a Tribe expert, I’d think, “stalker.”
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
This would be like a normal person walking into a job interview with a company, giving them their resume and saying, “So, are you going to hire me or what?” and management saying, “Well we’d like you to answer a few questions.” and the normal person saying, “Well let me tell you right off the bat, I don’t know anything about your company other than it’s a company and as you’ll see from my resume, I’ve worked for a company before and had some success doing that. I could have looked into how your company has been doing, how it operates, who your main competitors are, and who works here because all of that information was readily available, but I didn’t feel like doing it because at this time I’m only going to work for a company that is willing to hire me based on my resume.”
Somehow I don’t think that person would end up getting the job.
I agree the organization needs a major shake-up, but Valentine’s act seems pretty disrespectful to the organization if you ask me. Just because he had no knowledge of the Indians before the Indians expressed interest in him as a managerial candidate doesn’t excuse the fact that he STILL had no knowledge of the Indians when he went in for the interview.
If he was really interested in this job, he would have done at least some minimal homework.
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
@RockKing – You may be on to something!
@Mr Cleaveland – Thank you?
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:49 pm
For whatever reason as a youngster I decided Mets and Indianswhere the way to go. That being said, every year I have been praying for the Mets to bring him back. If we have the chance (Tribe), they need to land him.
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
@30
I dunno. I think whatever “homework” he could have done would have been, truly and in the eyes of the parties, just pretense.
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
On the other hand, he could have said, “Sure, I know the Indians. Their terrible. Significant problems need to be addressed in the front office.”
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
@33 — I think you’re missing the point. Somebody who walks into an interview completely unprepared is telling you quite a bit about their character. Namely, that they either think they can walk into important situations and just “wing it”, or that they really don’t care. Either way, that’s not somebody I want working for me or managing my favorite team.
We can want a shakeup of the organization without thinking Valentine is the one to do it. I’m really, really, really put off by this presser, and I usually give athletic type people like this the benefit of the doubt when they’re in front of the cameras. But this is just ridiculous.
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:09 pm
@35
The presser and the interview are different events. I don’t know what happened in the interview. They may not have quizzed him on his knowledge of the team.
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
No one is going to buy a ticket to see the manager. Period. Is this not the exact same thing that Leyland said with the Tigers…did not know the players, did not know the league.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I think a guy like Valentine is just what this franchise needs. As said above, he brings a fresh perspective to the organization that is desperately needed. Also, he takes up a good chunck of the media spotlight with his antics. Look at September ‘05, October ‘07, and the ‘08 and ‘09 seasons. Whenever there is a large spotlight on the Indians, the players fail to live up to their potential. A guy like Valentine keeping the spotlight on himself may be just what the doctor ordered. If nothing else, I think he would definitely be better at getting the most out of his talent (read: good motivator who makes his players mentally strong) than the Atomic Wedgie…
October 24th, 2009 at 12:08 am
**Edit**#34
“…’They’re terrible….”
October 25th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I love all the comments. That being said, I met Valentine in NY the year the Mets went to the World Series. I thought he was such a jerk. However, that was after “knowing” him for 5 minutes and I can’t tell you how many friends I have right now that I’d have given up on them after knowing them for a month. But I got to know them and now they’re great friends. I read an SI article on him a year or two ago and he actually seems like a great guy. And very smart too. Do you really think he went into that interview unprepared? Especially since that was his 2nd interview??? I don’t think Shapiro is that dumb, that he would invite BV here for a full day and waste his time if the first interview showed that BV knew nothing about the organization. I think that BV is a genius, and that press conference was all for show. My guess is he knocked the Tribe brass’ socks off and we’ll be seeing more of him (if they decide to pay him what he wants).
October 25th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
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