Bobby Valentine
Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969, 1971–72), California Angels (1973–1975), San Diego Padres (1975-1977), New York Mets (1977–78), and Seattle Mariners (1979) in MLB. He managed the Texas Rangers (1985–1992), the New York Mets (1996–2002), and the Boston Red Sox (2012) of MLB, as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (1995, 2004–2009).
| Bobby Valentine | |
|---|---|
Valentine in 2017 | |
| Utility player / Manager | |
| Born: May 13, 1950 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 2, 1969, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB 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
As manager
As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Valentine has been an analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. In February 2013, CBSSports.com hired Valentine to represent its Fantasy Sports business, including running a viral marketing campaign in which he made fun of the many times he was fired in his career and gave fans a chance to "Hire or Fire Bobby V" one more time.
On November 2, 2021, Valentine lost the election to become mayor of his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, to Caroline Simmons, the first female elected mayor in Stamford.