Bobby Valentine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Valentine
Valentine in 2017
Utility player / Manager
Born: (1950-05-13) May 13, 1950 (age 75) Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 2, 1969, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last appearance
September 30, 1979, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average	.260
Home runs	12
Runs batted in	157
Managerial record	1,186–1,165
Winning %	.504
NPB statistics
Managerial record	493–450
Winning %	.523
Teams
As player Los Angeles Dodgers (1969, 1971–1972) California Angels (1973–1975) San Diego Padres (1975–1977) New York Mets (1977–1978) Seattle Mariners (1979) As manager Texas Rangers (1985–1992) Chiba Lotte Marines (1995) New York Mets (1996–2002) Chiba Lotte Marines (2004–2009) Boston Red Sox (2012) As coach New York Mets (1983–1985)
Career highlights and awards
Japan Series champion (2005) Golden Spirit Award (2005) Matsutaro Shoriki Award (2005)

Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), often called "Bobby V", is an American who used to play and manage professional baseball. He also worked as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners. He also managed the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox in MLB. In Japan, he managed the Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball.

After his managing career, Valentine became a baseball analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. In 2013, CBSSports.com hired him to help with their Fantasy Sports business. He even made a fun marketing campaign about being fired many times in his career. On November 2, 2021, Valentine ran for mayor in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, but he lost the election to Caroline Simmons.

Early Life and Talents

Bobby Valentine was born in Stamford, Connecticut. His parents were Joseph and Grace Valentine. He went to Rippowam High School in Stamford. There, he was an amazing athlete in football, baseball, and track. He is the only person in Connecticut history to be named an All-State football player three times. He set state records for touchdowns and interceptions. One of his interception records still stands today!

In 1965, when he was a sophomore, he helped his football team, Rippowam, go undefeated (9–0) and win a state championship. Bobby was also a talented ballroom dancer when he was a teenager. He even won a regional competition in New York and took part in the opening ceremonies of the 1964 New York World's Fair. He was also the president of his student council.

Many top universities, like the University of Nebraska and the University of Notre Dame, wanted him for both football and baseball. But he chose the University of Southern California (USC). In 1967, he played summer baseball for the Yarmouth Indians. The Los Angeles Dodgers picked him fifth overall in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with them and received a $65,000 bonus. While playing for the Dodgers, he also attended USC and Arizona State University.

Playing Baseball

Starting in the Minor Leagues (1968–1970)

At just 18 years old, Bobby Valentine began his professional baseball journey. He played for the Ogden Dodgers in the Rookie Pioneer League. He was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP)! He hit .281 and led the league with 20 stolen bases. He was one of only three players to play in every game that season.

In 1969, Valentine impressed everyone in Spring Training. He was moved up to the Class AAA Spokane Indians. After the season, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in September when he was only 19. He didn't get to bat, but he was a pinch runner in 5 games and scored three runs.

In 1970, Valentine was back with the Spokane Indians. He was again named his league's MVP! He batted .340 with fourteen home runs and led the league in eight different hitting categories. With Valentine and manager Tommy Lasorda, Spokane won the league championship. During the playoffs, he broke a bone in his cheek. He also had knee surgery in January 1971.

Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1971–1972)

Valentine made the Dodgers team in 1971. He batted .249 with one home run and 25 RBIs in 101 games. His first hit in MLB was on April 25, 1971. It was an RBI single that helped the Dodgers win. In 1972, he played in 119 games. He played many different positions, like shortstop, second base, third base, and all three outfield spots. His batting average improved to .274. After this season, he was traded to the California Angels in a big trade.

Time with the California Angels (1973–1975)

Before the 1973 season, Valentine was named the Caribbean Series MVP. He played shortstop for the winning team from the Dominican Republic. He started strong with the Angels, leading them with a .302 batting average. But on May 17, 1973, just after his 23rd birthday, he had a very bad leg injury. His spikes got caught in an outfield fence while he was trying to catch a ball. He missed the rest of the 1973 season. He never got his full speed back because his bones didn't heal perfectly.

In 1974, even though he was still recovering, Valentine played in many games. He batted .261 with three home runs. In 1975, he played some games in the minor leagues before returning to the Angels. Later that year, he was traded to the San Diego Padres. In his first game as a Padre, he hit a home run!

San Diego Padres and New York Mets (1976–1978)

In 1976, Valentine spent most of his time with the Padres' minor league team, the Hawaii Islanders. He played in 120 games and batted .304 with 13 home runs. In 1977, after playing 44 games with the Padres, he was traded to the New York Mets. This trade was part of a famous day for the Mets when they made several big trades.

Seattle Mariners (1979)

Valentine's playing time with the Mets became very limited. He was released in spring training of 1979. He then signed with the Seattle Mariners and even played as a catcher that season. After the 1979 season, he retired from playing baseball at 29 years old.

Managing Baseball Teams

Texas Rangers Manager

Bobby Valentine was a coach for the Mets when he was chosen to manage the Texas Rangers in 1985. In 1986, the Rangers finished second in their division. Valentine was even second in the voting for the American League Manager of the Year. He managed the Rangers until 1992, when he was fired by managing partner George W. Bush. Valentine finished his time with the Rangers with 581 wins and 605 losses. He did not lead them to the playoffs.

In 1989, while still managing the Rangers, Valentine also worked as a baseball analyst for NBC.

Managing in Japan: Chiba Lotte Marines (First Time)

In 1995, Valentine became the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. The team surprised everyone by finishing in second place. They hadn't done that well since 1974! However, he was suddenly fired because of a disagreement with the general manager, even though he had a two-year contract.

New York Mets Manager (Second Time)

Valentine returned to managing in the minor leagues in 1996. Later that year, he was promoted to manager of the New York Mets. Over the next two seasons, Valentine helped the Mets play much better. They finished with 88 wins and 74 losses both years.

In 1999, Valentine led the Mets to 97 wins and a playoff spot. The Mets won their first playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They then played in the National League Championship Series but lost to the Atlanta Braves. During one game that year, Valentine was ejected by the umpire. He famously returned to the dugout later, disguised with sunglasses and a fake mustache made from eye black! Major League Baseball fined him $5,000 and suspended him for two games.

In 2000, Valentine again led the Mets to the playoffs. This time, they won the National League pennant, beating the St. Louis Cardinals. They then played in the 2000 World Series against their city rivals, the New York Yankees. The Mets lost the World Series in five games.

On July 14, 2001, Valentine won his 1,000th game as a manager. Valentine received the 2002 Branch Rickey Award for his help and donations to the survivors of the September 11 attacks. He had some disagreements with the Mets' general manager, Steve Phillips. At the end of the 2002 season, Valentine was fired. He felt he was unfairly blamed for the team's struggles. He finished his Mets managing career with 536 wins and 467 losses.

Return to the Chiba Lotte Marines (Second Time)

Valentine was popular with the Marines' fans

In 2004, Valentine went back to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines. In 2005, he led the Marines to their first league championship since 1974! On October 26, 2005, the Marines won the Japan Series by sweeping the Hanshin Tigers. The next day, Valentine even challenged the American World Series champions, the Chicago White Sox, to a series against his team.

After winning the Japan Series, the Marines also won the first-ever Asia Series in November 2005. Valentine brought new and exciting ideas to Japan, which helped double the number of fans attending Marine games. Some of these ideas, like letting kids run the bases after games, were common in America but new in Japan. In 2008, Valentine and his 2007 Marines team were featured in an ESPN Films documentary called The Zen of Bobby V..

The Marines decided not to keep Valentine after the 2009 season. This decision caused a lot of support for Valentine from the fans. Even though a petition with 112,000 signatures was given to the team to keep him, Valentine was still fired.

Working for ESPN

After leaving the Marines, Valentine became a baseball analyst for ESPN. He had appeared on their Baseball Tonight show before, in 2003. He started broadcasting for the 2009 playoffs and World Series.

Valentine continued working with ESPN for the 2010 and 2011 MLB seasons. He was considered for several managing jobs during this time, including for the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Milwaukee Brewers. However, he did not get any of these positions.

Boston Red Sox Manager

Valentine as the Red Sox skipper in 2012

On November 29, 2011, it was announced that Bobby Valentine would be the new manager for the Boston Red Sox. He chose to wear number 25 to honor Tony Conigliaro, a former Red Sox player.

Valentine's only season with Boston in 2012 was difficult. The team faced many injuries and had disagreements between players, coaches, and the front office. The 2012 Red Sox finished last in their division with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses. This was their worst record in 47 years. Valentine was fired by the Red Sox on October 4, 2012, the day after the season ended.

Managerial Record

Athletic Director at Sacred Heart University

On July 1, 2013, Valentine became the athletic director at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. During his time there, he helped make the university's sports teams more well-known. He appeared on ESPN and other media outlets.

He oversaw many improvements, like replacing the playing field and track. He also helped renovate the William H. Pitt Center. Sacred Heart University invested a lot of money to build the Bobby Valentine Health and Recreation Center. This is a large, three-story fitness building for all students. It has an indoor track, a bowling center, a climbing wall, and exercise rooms. This new facility opened in August 2019.

Under his leadership, the university's women's athletics teams won their eighth Joan Martin Commissioner's Cup. Overall, the Pioneers won 13 conference championships during his time. Their football team was nationally ranked in 2014, and the fencing team finished 11th in the NCAA championship. In September 2016, Valentine was named the ECAC Division I Administrator of the Year. In June 2021, Valentine took a break from his job. Three months later, Judy Ann Riccio became the new athletic director.

Awards and Other Work

• Elected to the Connecticut High School Coaches Hall of Fame (1986)
• New Jersey Sports Writers Association "Sports Humanitarian of the Year" (2001)

Since 1980, Valentine has owned and run Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar. It is a sports bar in his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut. In 2010, Valentine started a production company called Makuhari Media. This company makes sports documentaries.

In 2011, the mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, named Valentine the Director of Public Safety for the city. Valentine was paid a small salary for this job, which he promised to donate to local charities. He left the position 11 months later to manage the Red Sox.

In 2013, Valentine made some comments about the New York Yankees' involvement after the September 11 attacks, which caused some discussion.

In December 2016, it was reported that Valentine was being considered for the job of United States Ambassador to Japan.

Running for Mayor in 2021

On May 7, 2021, Bobby Valentine announced he was running for mayor of Stamford, Connecticut. He ran as an independent candidate. He was challenged by state representative Caroline Simmons. The election took place on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Valentine lost the election to Simmons by 1,505 votes. Simmons became the first woman mayor of Stamford, winning 52.5% of the vote. Valentine received 47.5% of the vote.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins