Our Daily Bobby

[Guest Edgy DC]

Bobby Valentine Dispatches of the day:

10/18:
Bobby Valentine is listed among candidates to skipper the Toronto Blue Jays, along with Rays' bench coach Dave Martinez, Red Sox third base coach and former Rays quality assurance coach Tim Bogar, Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, Phillies bench coach Pete MacKanin, and former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. The Dodgers apparently did not let the Jays talk with Tim Wallach.

Some outside buzz has him, former Astros manager Cecil Cooper, and former Baltimore interim Juan Samuel in the mix for the Milwaukee opening. Actual interviews for that job have included Nationals third base coach Pat Listach and White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, and former Mariners and D-Backs manager Bob Melvin.

Some, but I don't think all, accounts out of Florida say Valentine was offered the job.

Several sources say Valentine is prepared to return to Bristol next season, but he dropped this juicy tidbit when talking to Russo on Sirus/XM/Whatever.

�If it was just a job, I think I could already have it, and probably have it a few places, and I really am flattered by the people who have had me in and have talked to me and even offered me a chance�But I�m looking for that perfect situation, and it hasn�t presented itself yet.�

You know, gulp.

I post this today because I sense a Parcellsian BobbyV. media frenzy about to blow, which may scare the Mets off or cause V to overplay his hand.

[Fman99]

Do we think the Mets are that perfect situation he's waiting for? He did go back to Chiba Lotte, there's a precedent here for him returning to something he didn't finish the first time.

[ashie62]

Fman99 wrote: Do we think the Mets are that perfect situation he's waiting for? He did go back to Chiba Lotte, there's a precedent here for him returning to something he didn't finish the first time.

Shush! Bobby might hear you.

[Guest Edgy DC]

At Bobby V's Sports Bar in Arlington, "The group couldn't remember the last time there was no football on the big screens... ."

[Lefty Specialist]

Tampa Bay has a quality assurance coach?

[Guest Edgy DC]

A former one, anyhow, though I don't see one listed on their website now.

Self-examination may bring Rays solutions Updated 4/16/2008 3:25 PM By Seth Livingstone, USA TODAY ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. � The Tampa Bay Rays, the only franchise in the majors never to win more than 70 games in a season, are taking a long, hard look at themselves. One man critiquing the performance is former big-league infielder Tim Bogar, hired to the newly created position of quality assurance coach. "Everybody talks about quality control," says Rays manager Joe Maddon. "But that means evaluating things after they've occurred. Quality assurance means we're evaluating things in advance � trying to head off our mistakes." Maddon envisioned an additional coach to tie up loose ends. "With all the information that's thrown out there today, I thought the one position I'd always like to have was an information coach � a guy who acts as a liaison between scouting and us (in the dugout). I also thought we could use a guy to really organize our day, a guy who scouts us and analyzes videos � kind of an assistant to everybody." That job description made sense to team vice president Andrew Friedman. "Other teams spend so much time advance scouting opponents and not enough time scouting themselves," Friedman says. "Tim will spend a lot of time looking at areas other teams might try to exploit." Although he's liable to be on the field before a game throwing batting practice or hitting fungoes, Bogar isn't one of the Rays' six uniformed coaches during games. Instead, he follows the action from the stands or press box, gaining a different perspective that more befits the white-collar job title. "It's an interesting job for me," said Bogar, 41, who spent the previous two seasons managing the Cleveland Indians' Class AA team in Akron, Ohio. "I'm another set of eyes for the rest of our staff, trying to take some of the pressure off them." Maddon says he's told Bogar to keep the Rays one step ahead of themselves. "If he sees us getting into any patterns, if we're tipping things off, if the route the left fielder took wasn't as good as we thought it was from the dugout," Maddon says, "he'll be able to see things up there that we can't see." And Maddon expects Bogar to quantify things that won't show up in box scores. "Everybody tracks physical errors," Maddon says. "I want us to keep track of the plays we didn't make that we should have made � the mental errors. You talk about them all the time, but you never record them." During spring training, Bogar served as the Rays' camp coordinator and also assisted with infield and baserunning skills. He says he likes the idea of sitting apart from Maddon and other coaches. "Sitting in the stands during a game, I don't have the emotion of sitting in the dugout," he says. "I'll be making sure Joe has all the information he needs going into a series. So, I'll be checking the Internet and reading the local papers in advance besides evaluating what's going on during games."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ed Price is tweeting that Bobby Valentine had the Greek salad for lunch, and has been belching non-stop since 2:00.

[TransMonk]

Fman99 wrote: Do we think the Mets are that perfect situation he's waiting for?

I'm thinking that it would be easy enough for him to say that he was not considering himself a candidate for the Mets opening (as he did with the Marlins). The fact that he has not said that makes me believe that even if the Mets are not the situation he is waiting for, he won't be accepting any other jobs until the Mets tell him that they don't want him.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think he'd've gone nuts for the Dodger job if the organization wasn't falling apart around Torre. A guy in his position in an earlier era would have seen the power vacuum as an oppoturnity to take over as manager and buy into the team.

I think the Mariners --- and their transcontinental fanbase/talent pool --- would've been something he was excited about if they weren't a few years away and/or if he had some control over player acquisition.

[Guest attgig]

seems like every team should have a quality assurance coach... especially if it takes david wright & hojo a few weeks to realize that he's standing far away from the plate.

[Guest Edgy DC]

10/20

No reports on Bobby Valenine this morning, other than the jobs he didn't get.

This thread sucks.

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

Now that Cubs have hired QUAH-dee, my great fear of Bobby going to the Bronx to succeed Girardi has eased significantly.

[TransMonk]

I don't forsee any further Bobby news until the Mets hire a GM.

I have a hard time seeing Bobby go anywhere but Flushing or back to Bristol.

[ashie62]

Bobby V is coming back to the Mets, I believe! (I really do!)

[seawolf17]

I'll be in Stamford on October 28; I'll go to Bobby's for lunch and see if I can get a secret message to him.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've been very dismissive of the idea that Bobby might return in 2011, but lately I'm not so sure. I find myself becoming just a bit optimistic.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's the spirit We need more of that.

[Vic Sage]

seawolf17 wrote: I'll be in Stamford on October 28; I'll go to Bobby's for lunch and see if I can get a secret message to him.

Tell him that "the vessel with the pestle has the pellet with the poison... the flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true."
He'll know what it means.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Does anybody else feel the return of Valentine will be less likely if Alderson is appointed GM?

[TransMonk]

I do.

But I still think for Bobby it's Flushing or Bristol...at least for 2011.

[metirish]

Not me, in fact I think a first time GM would be less inclined to hire Bobby , in such a GM/Manager team Bobby would be the bigger name/personality , with Alderson I think they both have the name, the history and the strong personalities to match up.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

TransMonk wrote: But I still think for Bobby it's Flushing or Bristol...at least for 2011.

I think that part's pretty obvious. Applying for jobs and then pulling out before you get an interview doesn't tend to endear you to prospective employers.

[ashie62]

Vic Sage wrote: seawolf17 wrote: I'll be in Stamford on October 28; I'll go to Bobby's for lunch and see if I can get a secret message to him. Tell him that "the vessel with the pestle has the pellet with the poison... the flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true." He'll know what it means.

They may just work

Tell he he can hold Woody Woodpecker during the Macy's day Parade also.

[TransMonk]

10/22:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/105474168.html

The Brewers also talked informally with former Texas and Mets manager Bobby Valentine, now with ESPN, though he was not believed to have interviewed directly for the job.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pretty cool that Doug Melvin is interviewing Bob Melvin. They can get the Melvins to play the opening day national anthem.

Paddy Power will have a field day if Melvin disappears from the Mets list of candidates. Reports have Toronto leaning toward John Farrell.

Stuff of legends. Memorable. Bigger than life. Exhibiting the extraordinary about which tales are written. These are the hallmarks of legendary people and you can meet and celebrate a few at the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award Gala on Nov. 18 at Ridglea Country Club. The fabled philanthropist Boone Pickens will be honored at a gala dinner benefiting the foundation's scholarship program. Former pro baseball player and Texas Rangers manager, restaurateur and sports analyst Bobby Valentine will host festivities including remembrances of Bobby Bragan. The evening includes raffles for sports tickets, vacation getaways and more. Tickets are $200, with tables starting at $1,750. Call 817-870-2300 or visit http://www.bobbybragan.org for more information. Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/21/2566664/texas-literary-hall-of-fame-to.html#tvg#ixzz135t8JsFh

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The Second Spitter wrote: Does anybody else feel the return of Valentine will be less likely if Alderson is appointed GM?

Very much so, yes.

[batmagadanleadoff]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The Second Spitter wrote: Does anybody else feel the return of Valentine will be less likely if Alderson is appointed GM? Very much so, yes.

Howkum?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The Second Spitter wrote: Does anybody else feel the return of Valentine will be less likely if Alderson is appointed GM? Very much so, yes.

Well, who then?

I'm not sure if Wally Backman is particularly Aldersonian, and his behavior could make his bosses look bad.

That's why I'm expecting a curveball of some kind. Mazzilli? Has some experience, Met heritage but is probably malleable enough to fit into a Howe-ish role.

There's also Chip Hale. Seems like a bright guy, really well-liked, I could see it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I guess I could see Alderson liking Bobby and not liking Bobby. I'd sure like to know why he specifically shouldn't like Bobby. As noted earlier, the idea that "smart" guys are threatened by "smart' guys* doesn't hold up when you consider that he hired Tony LaRussa.

* A variation on the 900-lb. gorilla theory.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

While I don't think Alderson minds working with smart guys as subordinates, I think that he'd be averse to committing a large amount of financial resources there. I'd imagine that Bobby's asking price is pretty damn steep-- unless they found his tie objectionable or he suddenly, uncontrollably began vomiting racial slurs during the interview, I can't imagine any other reason why Seattle gave Wedge the job over him. Alderson seems constitutionally opposed to that sort of multimillion-dollar spending on "middle management;" that he would be taking over a team that seems, among other things, to be listing toward fiscal prudence (if not restraint), makes a hire even less likely.

But hey, maybe he's a big Valentine fan-- maybe they're old buddies from some'eres, or maybe he's been a fan from afar-- and I'm completely off-base. I'm not saying it's impossible... I'm just saying that it seems highly improbable to me, given the way Alderson seems to manage. (Chip Hale? Well, yeah, that makes more sense...)