Maybe the Red Sox really should fire Bobby Valentine

[Deb]

Maybe the Red Sox really should fire Bobby Valentine (http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/21/maybe-the-red-sox-really-should-fire-bobby-valentine/)

Matthew Pouliot (http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/author/matthewpouliot/)

http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/610x154.jpg?w=315

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the whole point to hiring Bobby Valentine is that he’s a cut above most as a tactical manager? He’s not in the Boston dugout because he’s a great manager of people. Nor does he have a rep as some sort of master disciplinarian who manages to get the most out of players. He’s there because he’s a smart guy, and the Red Sox apparently wanted a smart guy.

Unfortunately, 14 games in, Valentine isn’t looking very smart. Leaving left-hander Franklin Morales (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/4527/franklin-morales) in to face Mike Napoli (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/4181/mike-napoli) was the bases loaded in the Texas game Tuesday was an awful move that worked out just as badly as should have been expected (Napoli hit a bases-clearing double, giving Texas a 6-2 lead). Saturday’s eighth-inning moves in the 15-9 loss to the Yankees (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47130664), dropping Boston to 4-10 on the season, weren’t quite so baffling, but they were terribly wrong-headed.

First, with the Red Sox up 9-8, he let Morales start the eighth against a right-hander, even though Morales had already gotten three outs. That would have been explicable if he actually intended to go forward with Morales, but he removed him immediately after a leadoff single. That’s like my rule No. 1: don’t send a pitcher back to the mound if you’re going to pull him after the first mistake. It’s stupid managing.

So, now Valentine brings in his closer to try to get six outs, only he does it with a man on first instead of with the bases empty. Alfredo Aceves (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/5564/alfredo-aceves) proceded to walk Derek Jeter (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/2076/derek-jeter) and give up a two-run double to Nick Swisher (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3969/nick-swisher), putting the Yankees up 10-9. Next up was the second dumb move of the inning: Valentine had Aceves walk Robinson Cano (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/1152/robinson-cano) to bring up Alex Rodriguez (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/1981/alex-rodriguez) with two on and none out.

I wouldn’t have had a big problem with that in the ninth with Mariano Rivera (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/2072/mariano-rivera) set to come in. Doing everything possible to keep the lead at one would have been the best strategy then. But the Red Sox had two more chances to score, and Valentine just handed them the recipe for a big inning by giving the Bombers yet another baserunner. A-Rod walked to load the bases, Mark Teixeira (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3329/mark-teixeira) doubled and it was 12-9. Yet another intentional walk followed and the top of the eighth ended with the Red Sox down by six.

I do feel kind of bad for Valentine. This isn’t the team the Red Sox figured to put on the field. He’s been stripped of his closer, his left fielder and now his center fielder. Also, he can’t be blamed for the fact that the Red Sox’s top three starters have been shelled a combined four times already.

But I don’t see Valentine doing any good either. He hasn’t lost the Red Sox any games by himself, but he’s certainly put the team in position to lose a couple of times and this squad simply isn’t good enough to bail him out.

[G-men]

Its not Bobby V's fault that his bullpen is so bad and that he's lost 10 people to the DL. Its not even 25 games into the season. Settle down

[DBTS]

I think it has partly Bobby V's fault. But, I think more blame needs to be put on the players.

[SOS4Prez]

No one is blameless. Valentine has made stupid managerial decisions thus far. The offense has been inconsistent. The pitching has been dreadful. The owners didn't give Cherington the money to work with. Cherington didn't make the right moves with the money he was given.

[Jeff]

Bobby Valentine has been dreadful so far, but simply changing the manager won't make us a winning team. The talent and work ethic just isn't there with a lot of these guys.

[SOS4Prez]

The pieces he's been dealt have been dreadful, but the way Bobby has handled the bullpen so far has been borderline awful.

[Jeff]

The pieces he's been dealt have been dreadful, but the way Bobby has handled the bullpen so far has been borderline awful.
Plus that game against Minnesota when he made out his lineup card for a left handed pitcher when it was actually a righty on the mound. :Headbanging:

[SOS4Prez]

This Punto in the lead-off spot thing is stupid as well. The numbers don't lie, Punto isn't productive from the top of the order. Valentine lucked out one game. To shift around Aviles in favor of Punto leading off simply because he had one good game in Detroit is nonsensical.

[Jeff]

If I'm remembering they questioned the logic behind leading Punto off in that first series, and even with the numbers being what they are he tried to justify it with some idiotic, supercilious response to the media. It's pretty obvious that this dolt has only one philosophy when managing - hunches.

[SOS4Prez]

Agreed. Listen, I understand that Francona wasn't the greatest manager on Earth. He had his problems with the bullpen as well and he bungled how to handle Crawford when he came out of the gates slowly last year, but I'd much rather have his "do nothing" style right now than Bobby's "hunch and hope it works" style.