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Few males have witnessed as a lot baseball across the globe as Bobby Valentine, who stays as bicoastal and worldwide as ever at age 74.
Whereas he’s spent the previous few seasons in a broadcasting/advisory position with the Los Angeles Angels, Valentine continues to be a preferred presence in New York, the place he led the Mets to the World Sequence in 2000, and Japan, the place he led the Chiba Lotte Marines to the Japan Sequence title in 2005.
Valentine appeared on the Mets’ inaugural Amazin’ Day fan fest, when he supplied his usually candid tackle the large splashes made this winter by the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, the what-ifs concerning the Mets’ choice to not signal Ichiro Suzuki following the 2000 season and what Suzuki’s election to the Baseball Corridor of Fame signifies for the sport’s rising international growth.
Right here is the unique Q&A with SportsLens.
Q: As a supervisor with loads of expertise within the Subway Sequence, what’d you consider the Juan Soto signing?
Bobby Valentine: “The point out of Ichiro after which A-Rod after which some others who’ve come alongside and the Mets swung and missed at, I feel price (them) lots of victories and induced lots of heartaches for followers. I feel hitting this one out of the park is strictly what the Mets wanted. I like him as a hitter and I like what Steve Cohen and Dave (Stearns) are doing right here with this group.”
Q: Now you’re largely based mostly on the west coast. What do you consider the Dodgers’ aggressiveness this winter?
Bobby Valentine: “Ridiculous.”
Q: Ridiculous in a great way or unhealthy approach?
Bobby Valentine: “I feel it’s most likely a foul approach. I do know the blokes there, I do know the house owners and I do know the entrance workplace and I do know what they’re doing and I’m in that market mainly advising the overall supervisor throughout the best way. That’s a brilliant group. That’s completely different than most different groups. And I do know we’re making an attempt right here with the Mets. We’re making an attempt to maintain tempo. However I feel it’s tough.”
Q: Are you involved the Dodgers’ spending spree would possibly result in a piece stoppage when the CBA expires in 2026?
Bobby Valentine: “There’ll be a stoppage. Will depend on how lengthy and for what causes. There’ll be some issues with the CBA, as a result of there’s issues with Main League Baseball.”
Q: What are your ideas on Ichiro Suzuki making the Corridor of Fame?
Bobby Valentine: “One in all my best regrets (as Mets supervisor is) that I didn’t say ‘I’ll stroll out if we don’t signal him.’ I believed we had been going to signal him. Somebody thought completely different. I noticed him my first yr in Japan stay and we mainly decided to not go along with him on reviews that any individual else gave. And I by no means may determine that out. I used to be advised ‘Why do we would like a singles hitter within the outfield?’”
Q: Labored out OK.
Bobby Valentine: “For him!”
Q: What does Ichiro making the Corridor of Fame on the thirtieth anniversary of Hideo Nomo successful the Rookie of the 12 months say in regards to the affect of Japanese gamers on Main League Baseball?
Bobby Valentine: “That was the identical yr I went to Japan, Nomo got here right here. I attempted to make an announcement. I took the child that would not make the Yomiuri Giants pitching employees and had him on my employees named Takashi Kashiwada (in 1997) and he gained a sport within the large leagues! And he pitched OK generally. Simply to attempt to type of show a degree, {that a} man who couldn’t make a group there may make a group right here, to say that it wasn’t extra of an equal enjoying subject.
“Now I don’t suppose that each one the gamers in Japan need to play within the States. Why would you need to disrupt your entire world? Only for more cash? I feel what Japan will finally do is change their mannequin and produce up their salaries. They’re now constructing new stadiums for extra income, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, to maintain their gamers there. And in the event that they maintain their gamers there, finally there’ll be an growth to Asia with a division of baseball. That’s my thought and it’s been my thought for a very long time. And since Main League Baseball didn’t provide you with the thought, I feel that they’ve determined to do it the best way they’re doing it.
“And the best way they’re doing it’s the approach Main League Baseball did it with the Negro Leagues — that they took their greatest gamers, after which they took their different gamers. And when that occurs, the league folds. And I don’t need that to occur in Japan, as a result of (in) Japan, baseball is the No. 1 sport in that nation. And to take their skilled leagues away from them could be against the law.”
