Red Sox Valentine's Days Recalled

LOWLIGHTS OF VALENTINE'S TORTURED TENURE IN BOSTON

Embattled Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine threatened to punch WEEI Sports Radio Network host Glenn Ordway, after Ordway asked Valentine if he had "checked out" on the Sox and the season. Valentine exploded and launched into a befuddled tirade that left the radio host and the listeners convinced that firing Valentine now would be doing him a favor. Valentine admitted the this season has been miserable.
He railed against writers who printed reports about him being late for a game in which his team was beaten by TWENTY RUNS!!!!! He defended his action by saying that he had picked up his son at the airport and got stuck in traffic. It was noted that the son is 29 years old, but Valentine deflected that by saying that he had made a promise to his son to pick him up and did not want to break it. Valentine's tardiness took place on the same day that Oakland beat the Red Sox with a 20 run outburst.

Valentine also started a rant against the Athletics' playing facility - referring to it as that "Stupid Coliseum". Finally Valentine threw fellow manager Joe Maddon to the radio wolves, saying that Joe Maddon is always late.

Valentine's off the wall remarks have renewed calls from Fenway Nation to fire the beleagured manager now, instead of letting him finish the season with the team.

Glenn Ordway is a veteran host of the WEEI Sports Network, the largest in New England. He himself made news last year when his pay was cut from One Million Dollars to $500,000 because of sinking ratings. His ratings have come back, but I don't believe his money has been re-instated.

PERHAPS THE SAGGING 2014 RED SOX SHOULD TAKE UP BILL LEE'S OFFER WHICH HE MADE DURING THE 2012 VALENTINE MESS

Valentine's latest looney comments come less than a week after former sox Eeephus pitcher Bill Lee, volunteered to become Player/Manager of the Sox. Lee even volunteered to pitch three days in a row against the New York Yankees.

Here's the Bill Lee story, as written last week:

Four days after re-writing the record book for being the oldest man to pitch and win a professional baseball game, former Red Sox Southpaw Bill Lee, has made a pitch to become the player/manager of his old team which is sagging under the leadership of Bobby Valentine.

On August 24, 2012, the 65 year old veteran of 14 major league seasons, pitched a complete game 9-4 victory for the Class A San Raphael Pacifics of the independent North American League.

When Lee gave up three runs fairly early in the game, his manager, Mike Marshal (former LA Dodger) traipsed out to the mound and thought about taking him out - but Lee convinced him to let him stay in and he settled down, giving up just one more run.

The Spaceman did not walk a single batter and hurled the only complete game of the season for the Pacifics - who clinched a playoff spot with the win.

Lee also batted in the game and had one single and one run batted in.

The sellout crowd of 1265 cheered his every pitch. Many of the fans were wearing Red Sox caps.

In an appearance on the WEEI Sports Radio Network with Mike Adams, Bill Lee offered himself as player/manager for the Red Sox.

“The team will play for me,” Lee said. He added that they are not doing the job for Valentine, but will do it for him. “Also, I have never played on a losing team” he added.
Further cementing his value to the team, Lee explained that he has discovered the fountain of youth, and he offered to pitch against the New York Yankees three games in a row on September 11, 12, and 13.

“I’ll be in Boston next week and they can sign me to a contract,” Lee added.

Among Lee’s pitches is a variation of the fabled slow arching eephus pitch. Lee calls his twist on the painfully drowsy pitch, a “Leephus”. While a fast ball can travel in excess of 100 mph, the eephus can crawl in at only 42 miles per hour.

Lee who was born in 1946, won 119 games for the Red Sox and Expos in a career that stretched from 1969 to 1982. His time in the majors ended when Montreal fired him because he staged a one day walkout when the Expos traded his pal, second baseman Rodney Scott.

Since leaving the big leagues he has played for minor league teams and barnstorming teams.

In 2010, at age 63, he first entered the Guinness Book of Records when he pitched and won a game for the Brockton Rox - an independent minor league club in Massachusetts. Lee went just under six innings to earn the win.

“It might be hard for you to get back with the Red Sox,” said Radio host Mike Adams, “because you have burned so many bridges.”

“Bridges can be repaired.” Lee said.

The “Spaceman” was always controversial and has been a favorite topic of the writers and the readers.

He used to jog to Fenway Park on game days and brag that his use of Marijuana made him impervious to the fumes from the buses, trucks and cars.

He famously fought with Red Sox manager Don Zimmer, whom he called a Gerbil. Zimmer countered by calling Bill Lee and his group of pals, “Buffalo Heads”.

His constant criticism of management has made him an anathema to organized baseball….and since the Boston Red Sox are so disorganized right now, Bill Lee would probably make a great choice for the new manager.

Insiders say it’s a million to one shot, but if it did happen, one thing is for sure: Boston would be the talk of the baseball world for decades to come.