Lotte fans show new signs; Concerns of Cabrera and swine flu

I do not know every single detail of this scandal but my opinions on this is that the Marines fans are the best! I am really happy to see the fans supporting Valentine 100%. Valentine is a great manager who has done so much for the team.

The way the front office has been handling this drama has been an embarrassment. I don't understand what the point of telling the public that this is Valentine's last season as manager before the season even starts! Could not the front office have waited until the season ended at least? The team has been mishandling this issue on every aspect giving a good example of how not to run a baseball organization.

One thing which I like about the Marines is that it seemed as if the team cared about the fans. The team always has an extra jersey hanging in the dugout representing the fans. Each time a player gets a hit he thanks the fans unlike other teams. There seemed to be more interaction between the team, players and fans in Lotte than other teams.

Now saying that the fans are worthless is not only an idiotic statement, it also should be the last nail on the coffin. I hope Valentine stays and that the owner leaves. Or the front office does a 180 degree turn and extends Valentine's contract. It is a disgrace.

But before that. Lotte needs to start winning games. Valentine needs to show his fighting spirit. He seems to have lost motivation due to this scandal. He has cooled down. He is not the same Valentine he once used to be. I want to see a fighting Valentine going all crazy in the dug out firing up his team! Setoyama wants his team to end in last place due to his huge ego. It makes it so much harder for Setoyama to fire Valentine if Lotte does well.

Setoyama has made up his mind - Valentine is going. When the situation is like this there is nothing that Valentine can do. The question is, how much damage will it do to the franchise? Lotte are gambling not much, of course some fans will disappear but the gamble is the team will retain the exposure. However, if we look at the years between the two Valentine reigns we see a lack of fan support, exposure and player commitment. Setoyama risks returning to this situation.

The question he should be asking is - does Valentine add value to the franchise? The answer should tell him whether he needs to get rid of Valentine or retain him. He should try and factor in the moral damage to the franchise from his moves. Not only do commitments to Valentine appear to have been broken but also the club and front office have lost credibility in the sight of the fans and outside world.