In a story released by ESPN, it was announced that Bobby Valentine will be returning to America after six productive seasons as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He will appear as an analyst during the LCS and the World Series, and will be a regular on Baseball Tonight starting next season. It's a shame that the Marines could not afford to pay Bobby's salary - despite over 100,000 fans signing a petition to try to convince the Marines to let him stay - because they are losing a great manager that really knows how to win ballgames. Bobby Valentine is one of the managers I remember the most from my adolescent years, due in large part to his popularity with his players and fans, and his famed "Groucho Marx incident" after being ejected from a Mets game (pictured above). It's a shame to me that someone with his knowledge and zest for the game has been kept out of American baseball for so long. He is still the last Mets manager to lead the team to consecutive postseason berths, in 1999-2000.
Here's to hoping this new TV gig gets Bobby V some much deserved exposure and lands him another coaching job in the bigs. Not to throw any names out there, but this is the guy I wished the Brewers landed last year instead of Macha.
STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.29:
Brewers 77-79 (3 @ Rockies, 3 @ Cardinals)
Reds 74-82 (3 v. Cardinals, 3 v. Pirates)
Twins 81-74, -2.0 (4 @ Tigers, 3 v. Royals)
RACE FOR 2009 "MOST GAMES ATTENDED" TITLE:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 61
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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