Valentine says he will leave Marines

I HOPE HE IS NOT ONLY LEAVE THE MARINES.HE NEEDS TO LEAVE JAPAN, LEAVE JAPANESE PEOPLE WITH THERE TRADITONIAL GAME OF BASEBALL. DOESN'T NEED TO CHANGE.
BYE, BYE,BYE
BOBBY

... Yeah, I think this is the sort of viewpoint that bothers me quite a bit.

Valentine did a world of good for the Marines -- he had a lot of help from some good ballplayers, but he put in a lot of work being an ambassador. He wouldn't have come back to Japan if he didn't think that there was a challenge he wanted to pursue there. He put in a great deal of time and work to bring Lotte back to respectability, and with it he strengthened the NPB as a league.

Bobby could have been just another hired gun; he could have insulated himself from Japan, from the people, from the fans, etc. He could have put up a few mediocre seasons and gone through the motions. He made enough money to choose his path, and he could have chosen to seperate himself and be a mercenary. Instead, he immersed himself in the language and the culture; he did all of the little things he didn't have to do. He gave the fans respect, and went out of his way to make the environment surrounding the Marines FUN for both the players and the fans.

I have always enjoyed elements of the way the game is played in Japan. But, there are things about the "traditional" Japanese game that really get on my nerves. The constant focus on the Giants, the in-game conservatism, the passive-aggressive management decisions -- fans of the "traditional" game didn't bother with guys like Nomo and Ichiro until they went to play in America. In my view, Bobby's right about moving to change the old mindsets about how organizations are run and how the league as a whole goes about selling itself to its fans.

Sure, Valentine's a showman, a showboat -- just like his mentor, Tommy Lasorda. But the love he has for the game of baseball in Japan and for the Marines is real, just as Lasorda's love for the L.A. Dodgers is real. And Japan should consider itself lucky to have him in their game. I hope he stays there and continues his progressive methods ... he has a voice there; people will listen to him. I hope Bobby makes this his life's work because he's the perfect guy to fix what is broken in the NPB.

I think we'll now begin to see a lot more articles in the American press like this one, from Monday's (August 10) New York Post: "Pining for Bobby V." ].

Bobby is quoted in the story as saying: "As for next year I don't want to cross that self-promotion line.... I love doing what I am doing. Even the bad days are OK.... Baseball has been my professional life for 42 years and I hope this is not my last." From those last words, I would speculate that Bobby is indeed keeping his options open for a return to MLB.

I keep hoping those last words are leaving the option open to remain in Japan - preferably moving across the bay to Yokohama.

- I keep hoping those last words are leaving the option open to remain in Japan - preferably moving across the bay to Yokohama.

Or maybe to Nishinomiya? We sure could use a decent kantoku. ^_^;

Westbay-san:
I am in total sympathy with you there! (though I wish he would come to help out the Tigers). Bobby has been one of the legendary stewards of the game and brought such magic to Japan. Let's all hope he stays put in Nihon.

Nice article on mlb.com. It doesn't seem that he has that many chances in MLB, so perhaps he could really stay in Japan some more?

(I know a team which could use a new kantoku ASAP, ehm...)

Well like Michael said, Yokohama could use a new manager like Valentine, and so could Orix. I'm not so sure about Hanshin.

Any Hanshin die-hards out there want to debunk me on interest with Valentine? Though it would be nice if there was a way to get him and Hideki Matsui on the same team, as it would be Hanshin's marketing dream to have the same two personas on the same team. I can see it now with both of their faces hanging all over all of Hanshin's business. Hanshin does have the money to sign a manager of his caliber, and it seems like Valentine has no interest in MLB as his real passion in truly making NPB a better game and he has been steadfast in this goal.

NPB can't afford to lose one of its biggest advocates of change, and hopefully Hiroshima will keep Marty Brown. It be disappointing if there was not at least one foreign manager in NPB. I can't speak for the rest of the Japanese baseball faithful, but I like the different philosophy that different managers give, and even Trey Hillman embraced the Japanese sac bunt and won a Nippon Series.

It's a funny thing with Valentine, though -- and I'm speaking just off the cuff here, so I could be way wrong too -- but my sense of Bobby V when I lived in New York was that there were many many Mets fans who just didn't like him, and I'm not at all sure he would be greeted well even if there were an opening, say, as Mets manager (on the NY radio talk shows I remember lots of people calling Bobby arrogant, as if he hadn't paid some kind of dues). And I'm also skeptical that his superb achievements in Japan are viewed with understanding and/or admiration by most American baseball fans. Even given the upbeat tone of the MLB.com article, I'm not particularly convinced that most teams would actively look to hire him back in the USA. But I guess we'll all see what develops in the fullness of time.

Sara B,

There are a lot of people (regular fans) who don't view Valentine's achievements in NPB with high regard, so there's always a story out there that so and so MLB team is interested in him as manager. If the first was true that Valentine was an idiot, then why would so many MLB teams be interested in him?

There's a couple possible openings for Valentine in MLB in 2010, he can return to the Mets (what an adventure that be, but Steve Phillips is gone and Minaya doesn't have people skills); Washington, which is a sad franchise, or Baltimore, which is in need of a manager who can develop young players.

Though given the choice between staying in NPB or departing back to MLB, I'd say Valentine prefer to stay in Japan. Even if it was in some kind of special front office role which the Marines could owe him enough common decency to give him after all he's done for them, because I don't see Orix or Yokohama throwing out the cash to get him, and my talks with Christopher back on forth over at his latest Tigers Tails post doesn't think with the new Hankyu ownership at Hanshin would be very friendly to a Valentine managership, which I have to agree with.

Without Valentine, NPB is losing one of its biggest advocates of change and one the last people willing to stick up to the OB (Old Boys) ownership in NPB.

I know this sounds stupid, but it would be cool if Valentine started his own franchise. He'd drive the Old Boys crazy.

I realize that this is an old thread, but I just need to add this.

Latest news is Bobby will work as an analyst for ESPN and says he wouldn't rule out returning as manager to the Mets if he were asked.

Hasn't ruled out managing the Mets? In today's Nikkan Sports Valentine-kantoku said,

「４年契約ですが、その間に日米から監督のオファーがあれば自分で決められるようになっている。ＥＳＰＮからいい条件を提示されたが、それより低い金額でも日本からオファーがあれば、そちらを選ぶ気持ちはある」

Which translates to:

"It's a four year contract, but if I should get an offer to manage a team in Japan or the Majors, it's up to my discretion. I'm getting very good compensation from ESPN, but even if a lower offer were to come from Japan, I feel that I'd take it."

It sounds to me like he would be much more willing to take an NPB managing job, even at a lower offer than ESPN, than return to the Mets, or any MLB team for that matter. Does that infer that an MLB team will have to out-bid ESPN?

Come on Yokohama, make him an offer. Bobby's exactly what we need to turn this team around.

My thoughts exactly Michael. Yokohama just got rid of both their strength and conditioning coaches as well as a whole bunch of players and I believe much of the front office has been let go to (I may be wrong on this).

The time for change is now Yokohama so don't mess this up. Put the team and the fans first for once and utilize what you have to the best of your abilities.

Bobby BayStars 2010!

I'd like to see Bobby stay in Japan as well and see what he could do with another team. The report I read didn't say he hoped to go back to the Mets, but merely that he wouldn't rule it out if approached.

Personally I'd like to see him take over for Mayumi, but I imagine Mayumi will be getting at least another year.

I personally would love to see Bobby Valentine gone, gone, gone from Japan. I think he already has started too many problems for the Japanese people. Also, he has already made too much money in Japan, even more than now-manager of the Dodgers Torre, who managed the Yankees, and Bobby is not even close to being the caliber of manager that Torre is.

Bobby is just a control freakkkkkk. When things don't go his way he always tries to make it go his way no matter who he needs to hurt. He is a very bad man, but Japanese fans are very confused about his personality.

Fans can't see the things he does behind closed doors. The only things they can see is what he makes them believe, or see when he is on the field, which is a performance for the fans. He is acting like he cares about them.

Bobby is rushing off to the States to do playoff coverage for ESPN. Not sure if we will get these broadcasts on BS, but I hope so, as I would rather listen to Bobby than that loudmouth Rick Sutcliffe.

This morning's (October 8) Daily Yomiuri has an elucidating column by Jim Allen ("The Hot Corner"), putting the whole messy situation in Chiba clear. It's pretty shocking how hands-on the Lotte front office has been in terms of trying to drive Bobby V out. After reading this, I can understand why Valentine would probably prefer to leave Japan despite all the success and fan support he's enjoyed there. What a sad story.

Here's the link.

Thanks for the link, Sara. Since this is getting a bit off topic, I've started a new thread here in Open Talk for further discussion.

[For those who haven't noticed, Open Talk requires login to participate, but it's now unmoderated to promote quicker, yet still responsible, conversations. The usual rules still apply, and spammers will be dealt with.]

As the two BayStars fans that use this site frequently probably read, the 'Stars are in fact pursuing Bobby. However, MLB teams are also pursuing him as well, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Are you basing this on the Fox Sports rumor that I mentioned here a couple days ago? I have yet to see any supporting evidence to that rumor - only others citing Fox Sports' anonymous rumor.

I hope the rumor is true, but I have yet to see anything to convince me that it is anything other than a rumor that had been embellished a few times until it doesn't represent reality any more.

Give me a source other than Fox Sports. Preferably a Japanese source having spoken with someone in the BayStars' front office.

I read the story in the Japan Times yesterday, which may have come from the Fox News report. So, if I did by accident post something which came from Fox News, many many apologies!

Bobby's BayStars!!! I like that......very "catchy" too. That's going to be my motto from now on (hope you don't mind No.1BayFan).

I'd love nothing more than to have Valentine-kantoku plug in a much needed spark plug in to my beloved BayStars. I agree the team needs a change and needs it now.

Note to Yokohama front office: LET BOBBY WORK HIS MAGIC ON THE BAYSTARS.........PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

I realize that this is an old thread, but I just need to add this.

Don't you all think it a bit unseemly for Bobby V. to unceremoniously being shown the door after what he's done in NPB? Oh, I forgot, he's a gaijin.

Understand "buddy" we want that man out of Japan and Japanese Baseball. You have no any idea the kind of person this man is. Fans see the good side of Bobby, because he wants all the fans to believe in him. But the dirty things he does behind doors, only some people can see what is really going on. Please, you are talking about "gaijin". But that is not the reason why everyone wants him out. The reason why everyone wants him out is the same reason why nobody wants him back in the US (players, coaches, front office, fans), the man is bad news.

- Don't you all think it a bit unseemly for Bobby V. to unceremoniously being shown the door after what he's done in NPB? Oh, I forgot, he's a gaijin.

I don't think this is necessarily an us-vs-them kind of thing. It's just the business of baseball. Look at the way Joe Torre was let go by the Yankees after all he did for them.

Well, Joe is a gaijin, too. LOL. I agree, shabby is shabby in the US or Japan.

As for the harsh comments about Bobby V, I am familiar with his warts and I'm not surprised he outlived his welcome. Nevertheless, he did some good work in Japan and hoped his departure would be a bit more civil and graceful in the Japanese manner. The Indians passed over Bobby for Manny Acta. Baseball, among other things, is a business just about anywhere.

Bobby V. has taken a team to the World Series and won the Japan Series. Manny Acta has a career managerial winning percentage of .391. Ouch.