Comments on: The Straw that Stirs the Hub

By: RagingTartabull

RagingTartabull — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:51:37 +0000

Thanks for reading guys, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And obviously big thanks to Alex and the Banter crew for having me.

[7] I’ll be honest, the Dice-K point never even crossed my mind. It is certainly possible, but I think a lot there hinges on Matsuzaka’s physical condition which is pretty up in the air obviously. But I’m sure having another guy in the room who speaks the language can’t possibly hurt.

By: joejoejoe

joejoejoe — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:16:44 +0000

I’m still grinning like a goofball over that Art Howe line. Nice piece about baseball, history, and the once and future public safety director of Stamford, Connecticut.

[7]Good points about Matusuzaka Chyll Will. It’s my understanding that Valentine is revered in Japan so maybe that will help the Red Sox a bit with their Japanese player investments.

Also, Theo already has about a half dozen press conferences in the books here in Chicago, including a meeting with Mayor Emanuel. I didn’t think GMs could be stars but it’s happening here with Theo as Cubs super poobah or whatever title they invented for him.

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:24:45 +0000

Good stuff!

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:17:10 +0000

[5],[6] Agreed, and also he may already serve as an ultraviolet scanner of sorts by exposing some griminess (i.e. certain players) that the Sox may believe they can do without. They’re heavily vested in this now, moreso than any of the players they have signed, so if they continue to fuss and a name gets attached to it, that player had better not blink or he’ll miss how fast he gets traded/released/sent down/hung out to dry.

One thing that’s been overlooked and might work in their favor is how he handles Matsuzaka though; he might be able to get something deep out of him simply by having extended conversations with him on the bench or in the clubhouse. You never know, it could also backfire, but I can’t see how it doesn’t help unless Valentine wears him out by mid-season.

By: ms october

ms october — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:12:48 +0000

good article raging.
and i agree with oyf.
i think it will be interesting to see how valentine acts and responds when all the attention is on him without his having to work so damn hard for the attention. it will also be interesting to see if he has grown over time.

By: OldYanksFan

OldYanksFan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:09:47 +0000

Bobby V will either be very good for the Sox or very bad. Both Theo and Tito were good men, and the Sox lost big with their departures. I obviously don’t have the inside story, but it appears the players themselves fucked up big-time, and neither Tito or Theo could control them.

If there is some contrition from the players, they may respond to Bobby’s hard line. If they are however, looking for a fight, it could be great for Yankee fans to just sit back and watch the show.

By: RagingTartabull

RagingTartabull — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:32:48 +0000

I think Bobby’s failure as a player post-injury is what fuels that paranoid streak, he was supposed to be a star and an exploding knee in the Anaheim outfield stole it away from him. He can’t prove to you his physical gifts, so damned if he’s not going to prove his intellectual ones.

With Billy I think it was shouldering the blame for the Copa brawl and being exiled from New York, he was supposed to spend his entire career hanging out with Mickey and Whitey at Toots Shore and instead he ended up in Cincinnati. He always had to prove he was the “proudest” Yankee in the room.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:54:59 +0000

Bobby was a big time prospect as a player, Martin was always a scrapper, though Valentine became a role player after that awful injury with the Angels.

By: RagingTartabull

RagingTartabull — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:45:55 +0000

[1] Thanks! I think their similarities lie in the fact that both are a)very much aware of their ability as a manager, and b) have a self-destructive streak that manifests itself in different ways, but is unmistakeably there.

Billy earned his attention sure, but I think Bobby did as well. Bobby’s crowning achievement as a manager is 2000, for Billy there is obviously ’77 but I’d argue that HIS best job as a manager was 1976 where the Yanks cruised to their first pennant in 12 years with relatively little drama before losing to the Reds.

Billy is darker, for sure, but I definitely think they are cut from the same cloth in a lot of respects.

By: Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:20:21 +0000

Good stuff, Raging, but wouldn’t you agree Martin and Valentine are far more different than they are similar? Sure they both abuse pitchers, and think they know more than anyone, but I think the comparisons pretty much stop there.
Even if they’re both insubordinate, think about how differently they approach it. Valentine goes the smarmy and passive aggressive route, Billy was the drunken bull in the china shop.
In a nutshell I think Martin earned his attention, and Valentine has mostly made a name for himself seeking attention. Very different animals I think.