Chiba Lotte's fans wanted Bobby Valentine back in Japan for yet another year. Chiba Lotte management didn't want to pay him.
I don't know what budget the Marines are on, but surely an MLB team, even one as cash-strapped as Cleveland, could afford Valentine's asking price.
In Mark Shapiro's quest to hire a new manager, he has said that money won't be an issue. However does that mean money won't be an issue because they won't think of hiring someone that costs a pretty penny or they would shell out the cash for the right guy?
No one really knows and on that same confusion, no one really knows why Valentine would take an interest in Cleveland.
It isn't the ideal spot for someone who has gained the respect he has to actually consider. Cleveland is not a team ready to compete for a World Series in 2010 and maybe not even in 2011. That isn't to say Bobby Valentine has one interest in winning now, but it is surprising to some that Valentine would want to bother with a team that isn't ready to win.
Or you could look at it as the Indians being the best situation for any manager out there looking for a job this year. You may not win in 2010, but you won't have a job in 2010 either. Valentine though, as we all widely know, has ESPN as his safeguard.
Either way though, Valentine is set to interview with Cleveland Thursday, with Torey Lovullo going Friday and perhaps two more candidates next week. One is considered to be Don Mattingly and now that the Dodgers are eliminated, that could happen sooner rather than later.
Valentine is going to be the second man up in the process. You would think given his experience he would be the favorite and really that's the whole basis for his case to be the next Indians manager.
Experience to Last a Lifetime
When Mark Shapiro set out his guidelines for hiring a new manager there was one point he seemed to be aiming for. There was one trait he wanted his new manager to have no matter what and given the finalists, that is evident.
He wanted someone with major league experience. Sure his preliminary list had two coaches within the organization, Lovullo who is a finalist and Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh, but it was also filled with guys who have been to the big show.
It also appears Shapiro is looking for someone who's done the big job before.
Bobby Valentine has certainly done the big job and he's done it well at times.
Valentine just isn't an experience big league manager. He isn't just a big league manager either, as mentioned in the very beginning, Japan has had the pleasure of the witnessing the Bobby V experience.
He's someone who's managed at the minor league level, the major league level and the international level. He knows baseball like the back of his hand and he's seen a lot and done a lot. The guy knows what he's doing, point blank.
What argument do you have against that?
There is no argument against experience, unless of course the experience has been nothing but bad. But Valentine has won in the past. He won, briefly, at Texas, in New York and in Japan.
The winning in New York and Japan was brief, not as brief as in Texas. but the man has a knack for taking over a team and doing good things. He knows the game in and out, he has an eye for talent and he can flat out run a clubhouse.
The Indians wanted experience. They can settle for minimal managerial experience in Manny Acta or a good chunk of major league experience in Don Mattingly. Or they could grab the guy that has more experience as a professional manager than any of the other candidates combined.
No learning curve, no mistakes, none of that stuff that one of the other candidates may go through. Valentine will come in and bring that "I know what I'm doing, so listen to me" attitude. And if he can press that confidence and swagger onto the players, the team might even be more successful in 2010 than more people think.
Other Ways of Convincing
You know you are popular when the first auto-result that comes up when you start typing your name in Google is followed by something unique.
In Bobby Valentine's case, the term "bobby valentine disguise" is the first term that comes up after you complete typing his name. It doesn't stick at "Bobby Valentine or go to "Bobby Valentine managerial record" or "Bobby Valentine Mets." No, his popularity is so high because of that one moment in which he returned to the dugout in a disguise after getting ejected.
Experience is great, but popularity speaks for itself. It would be splash of all splashes to sign someone like Valentine to manage the Indians. There would be a buzz in Cleveland that might just generate enough interest.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Cleveland Indians articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete