Chatty Bobby Valentine Continues to Distract Fans from Weak Boston Red Sox Squad

Smoke and mirrors are Bobby Valentine's best tools as the Boston Red Sox skipper this season.

As fans continue to confide in Valentine, the Red Sox remain a team that cannot contend with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. 

The Red Sox felt as though the general manager and the manager were the problem last season, so they cleaned house. The minimal acquisitions that they made during the offseason will not be nearly enough for them to compete in the American League.

Their big answer for becoming better in 2012 was hiring a well-respected, veteran manager. 

Bobby Valentine is accustomed to being in the bright lights of a big city and he is also used to dealing with the media. 

Valentine is a great manager but he is an even better talker and he is proving it now.

Diversions

Since spring training has begun, he has successfully turned the attention of the media from the Red Sox' lack of pitching to everything and anything else.

When the Red Sox entered camp it seemed as though all of the conversation would be the obvious trouble with their pitching rotation. Instead of addressing this season's issues, Valentine brings up the issue of alcohol and banning it in the clubhouse. 

This is something that did not need to be made public, but because it distracted people from the Red Sox' problems this year, it was a welcome diversion.

That was last year's team. Wasn't that supposed to be forgotten about when Terry Francona left town?

Speaking of Francona, Valentine was able to use him as a piece of verbal ammunition as well. 

While Francona was embracing his new duties at ESPN, he commented on the alcohol ban on Mike and Mike in the Morning, "I think it's a PR move. I think if a guy wants a beer, he can probably get one."

Valentine, who worked at ESPN before joining the Red Sox, decided to take offense to the comment and respond to Francona. He said that Francona is "getting paid over there at ESPN for saying stuff," and that he is "getting paid over here with the Red Sox for doing stuff."

A jab at the former manager that he knew would continue to divert attention to the real problems with his ballclub. 

What would the smokescreen be without bringing in the Yankees as well? 

The season has yet to begin and Valentine has already taken stabs at Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.

He referred to Rodriguez when he spoke about Jason Varitek's retirement, "He was able to beat up Alex, all that stuff. He was exactly what he was supposed to be.''

Shortly after that, he decided to assess Jeter's famous 2001 play from the ALDS when he spoke to ESPN: "I think (Jeter) was out of position and the ball gets (Giambi) out if (Jeter) doesn't touch it, personally...That was amazing that (Jeter) was there. I bet it's more amazing that he said he practiced it. I don't believe it.''

Valentine is distracting everyone from the real problems with his team, but once the losses begin to accumulate, he won't be able to get away from the real baseball questions anymore.

Boston's Real Problems

The facts are that the Red Sox have a less-than-mediocre pitching staff that lost Tim Wakefield to retirement and let Jonathan Papelbon sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

They signed Andrew Bailey to fill Papelbon's role, but still only have three starting pitchers: John Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz. They will fill their fourth spot with converted reliever Daniel Bard.

There are a slew of possibilities for the fifth starter, including Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook, Carlos Silva and former Yankee Alfredo Aceves.

Their depleted rotation must compete with the Rays' and Yankees' staffs, which might be two of the best rotations in the league.

The Rays are led by David Price, James Shields and stud prospect Matt Moore.

New York increased the quality of its staff by acquiring Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda. 

The pitching problems alone might sink the Red Sox this season. This does not even take into account Carl Crawford and what he will have to do this season to prove he can make it in Boston.

Valentine's biggest challenge might be keeping a team together that is out of contention by the All-Star break.

If he can't keep them together, they might be fighting just to stay out of last place in the division.