Bobby Valentine on the Yankees’ moves: “meh”

Craig Calcaterra

Jan 14, 2012, 4:09 PM EDT

46 Comments

I don’t know if Bobby Valentine will be as good a manager for the Red Sox as Terry Francona was. But I do get the sense that he’ll be more fun to have around. Because of fun stuff like this, when asked by Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York to comment on the Yankees’ trade for Michael Pineda and the signing of Hiroki Kuroda:

“They’re probably an upgrade from Colon and Garcia. Probably. I don’t know. It seems it … Pineda, when I saw him the first half, he looked unhittable. Second half, he looked OK.” [The Mariners] saw a lot of him and they traded him. Kuroda is a good pitcher — a year older than he was last year, pitching in the American League and not the National League, pitching in not a great pitcher’s ballpark from a great pitcher’s ballpark.”

All true statements. But all offered with the intention of being something of a pain to Yankees fans, I think. Or at least want to think.

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46 Comments (Feed for Comments)

Old Gator - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:21 PM

It’s Saturday, Craig. What are you doing here?

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- Craig Calcaterra - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:22 PM
  
  I sent D.J. on a secret mission to get me some Mexican Coca-Cola. Don’t tell him they sell it in the grocery stores here now. I’m really wanting to test his loyalty.
  
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  - Old Gator - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:39 PM
    
    I was afraid it was further evidence of a Gleeman shortage, as reported earlier this week, but apparently it might be the first indication of a Short shortage. At least it’s now clear that there’s more than enough of you to last us awhile.
  - hammyofdoom - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:55 PM
    
    Are you joking me? I was just looking up Mexican Coca-cola yesterday, we’re on the same wavelength apparently
cur68 - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:21 PM

Not exactly cryptic, our man Bobby V. If he keeps this damning-with-faint-praise stuff up we’ll have quite the regular season, quote-wise, from him.

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- bigharold - Jan 14, 2012 at 7:01 PM
  
  Yeah but what if this stuff starts blowing up in his face? It could get ugly as the Nation is an unforgiving bunch.
  
  The ironic thing is that Boston fans are loath to the likes of Rex Ryan, .. yet they just got the baseball version of Ryan. Sure Ryan is far more boisterous but football is a far more boisterous sport.
  
  The bottom line is the Yankees added more to their team in the last day than the RS have done all off season, .. and that’s ignoring the fact that they let their closer walk.
  
  The players need to produce, the games still need to be played but any honest assessment of the Yankees off season would have to conclude that they took the step needed to address their most pressing issues. The RS, .. not so much. Trading the likes of Montero not only took guts but the way it was done displayed a cunning that should be appreciated.
  
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  - cur68 - Jan 14, 2012 at 7:41 PM
    
    Big H, I hear ya. As a Beaver Men fan I’m enjoying all this discord in Beantown, but I don’t think Valentine is necessarily wrong about the Yankees only appearing to get better. I saw a bit of Pineda last season. Stunning velocity but a lack of pitches. He tires in the later innings. Lots of fly balls. That Valentine assessment of Pineda matches what I saw.
    
    With that being said, Bobby V better look to his own forces ASAP, or I think there might be blood bath featuring him as the Boston media’s dinner.
  - Kevin S. - Jan 14, 2012 at 10:29 PM
    
    “He tires in the later innings.”
    
    Oh, if only the Yankees had several quality pitchers they were allowed to insert into the game during the later innings if the starter were to faulter.
pisano - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:29 PM

Bet your ass if Boston would have made those moves Valentine would be speaking World Series. I have a feeling Valentine is going to be MLB’s answer to fat mouth Rex Ryan.

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- Utley's Hair - Jan 14, 2012 at 7:24 PM
  
  Would any manager—short of maybe Gator’s buddy Ozzie—come out and say the moves his team made would have them fall short of the Series? At least in January? And not somewhat tongue-in-cheek?
  
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proudlycanadian - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:30 PM

Reading into the tea leaves, it appears that the Red Sox are “casting an eye” at Colon in order to keep up with the Yankees.

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- bigharold - Jan 14, 2012 at 7:19 PM
  
  If that’s the case I think they’ve seriously miscalculated.
  
  Colon, for all his contributions last season looks to not be in the Yankee plans for 2012, .. unless it’s a long relief spot. And, unless the RS are sure that they have better options in house they’d be wise to sign Colon a a long guy.
  
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md23rewlz - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:30 PM

Shouldn’t Bobby V be off eating fried chicken and playing video games with the rest of his team?

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- sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo - Jan 14, 2012 at 5:10 PM
  
  Nah, they only do that in the midst of soul crushing collapses. Give him 7 or 8 months on that.
  
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  - skeleteeth - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:04 PM
    
    Having to win 1 game at home in a 7 game series seems to still be a worse choke than going 7-22 in the last month of the season after having less than average pitching for most of the year and only a stretch of maybe a month and a half where the offense represented.
  - bigharold - Jan 15, 2012 at 4:16 PM
    
    “Having to win 1 game at home in a 7 game series seems to still be a worse choke than going 7-22 in the last month of the season …”
    
    No it doesn’t. Not even close when you add context, .. like the Yankees went cold for less than a week against a team that was as good as they were, albeit in the ALCS. The RS were a slow motion train wreck over the course of a month that include going 2-5 against the O’s the last week of the season, one of the worst if not the worst team in baseball, including coughing up the lead in the last game of the year.
    
    Keep holding on to the memories of 04 as it’ll help you forget about 2011. Whatever gets you through the night.
baseballisboring - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:36 PM

I think it’s definitely less about pissing off Yankees fans than it is keeping his own team/fanbase optimistic. And you know, he makes some good points. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about the Yanks landing Pineda but…as a Sox fan I’m really diggin Bobby V’s vibe right now.

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- quintjs - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:41 PM
  
  I have to agree. I don’t know if the Sox will be any good this year, it might be a complete disaster, but I can’t help getting the feeling the Sox will be better down the road as an organization having Bobby V managing this year. It will be different and he might upset a few people but there seem to be a few people within the team and even in the FO that could use some upsetting. There has been a vibe of expectation over the Sox the last couple of years, the same that the Yankees had a few years ago that it would just all fall into place.
  
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  - hammyofdoom - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:57 PM
    
    To say that next year will be a disaster is pretty knee-jerk reaction. This team will certainly be better than average next year, just happen to be in a division that has 3 playoff contenders every year
  - quintjs - Jan 14, 2012 at 10:51 PM
    
    first of all – i said might, and it was relative to the Red Sox. As in a disaster being a similar result to last year – player revolt and no playoffs. No matter what they will still win plenty of games.
butchhuskey - Jan 14, 2012 at 4:42 PM

“I invented the sandwich wrap, ergo your argument is invalid”- Bobby Valentine

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randygnyc - Jan 14, 2012 at 5:46 PM

In other words, “oh shit”! Cherington promised me he’d keep up with the Jones’. 4 months later, were still the same club with it’s recent historical collapse in the rearview mirror and no new remarkable additions. Quick, I’d better placate the red sox fans. They won’t know the difference. If I say these deals don’t make the Yankees better, they’ll be forced to believe it.

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uyf1950 - Jan 14, 2012 at 5:48 PM

The Red Sox are going to counter by signing Vicente Padilla. Then I want to hear him babble.

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- deathmonkey41 - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:39 PM
  
  Uh, we’re talking about a team that gets drunk in the clubhouse when they’re not playing…I think Padilla’s going to fit right in.
  
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miketreedy - Jan 14, 2012 at 6:00 PM

The fact is Bobby V is right. These two deals aren’t that big of a deal. There is a reason Kuroda was on the FA market this long. Pineda didn’t look that great away from Seattle especially in second half of the season once the league figured him out.

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- uyf1950 - Jan 14, 2012 at 6:22 PM
  
  I guess then the league figured out Lester, Beckett and the rest of the Sox staff in September then as well.
  
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randygnyc - Jan 14, 2012 at 6:23 PM

Being concerned about having a drop off in the 2nd half of a rookie season while only being 22 is laughable. Pineda has a lot to learn. Can’t teach his talent.

And Padilla won’t pitch more than 80-90 innings. He’s always getting hurt. He’s got a bad back/neck. And he’s old. RS trying to duplicate the Yankees with last years success after signing colon and Garcia. Padilla is laughable.

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adedhed68 - Jan 14, 2012 at 6:24 PM

Who gives a crap what Bobby V. thinks? He’s a bona fide circus act and the media is just trying to stir it up

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- pisano - Jan 14, 2012 at 6:49 PM
  
  I agree, Boston will regret letting Tito go, he kept that dog and pony show going as long as humanly possible.
  
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  - uyf1950 - Jan 14, 2012 at 7:29 PM
    
    Pisano, my friend. What do you think now. The rotations looking pretty darn good. Seems like Cashman took all of us by surprise. Now if they could just get rid of AJ.
  - damnyankee13 - Jan 15, 2012 at 8:36 AM
    
    Sir, you are right. Boston will definately regret letting toto go . he is a far better manager then bobby v.
- djpostl - Jan 15, 2012 at 11:29 PM
  
  Valentine has, and will always be, overrated.
  
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kinggw - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:32 PM

Valentine is right. I keep hearing how the Yankees now have a championship rotation. They picked up a hard throwing youngster who benefitted from pitching in the cavernous Safeco field and soon to be 37 year old number 3 starter. The moves made by Cashman definitely upgraded their rotation, but the real question is by how much. How is Pineda going to hold up in Yankee stadium? I think he’s a good young talent but its a little early to call him the next CC.

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- churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged - Jan 15, 2012 at 10:15 AM
  
  I think he’s a good young talent but its a little early to call him the next CC.
  
  No one has made that claim. However, if you can’t see how going from a rotation of a 1 (CC) and possible 3 (Nova) and a bunch of 4/5 (Garcia, Burnett, Hughes) to CC/Pineda/Kuroda/Nova/ and one of the previous three isn’t an upgrade, I don’t know what to tell you. Also understand that by the stats last year the Yanks finished:
  
  ERA – 4th
  FIP – 4th
  xFIP – 3rd
  
  Whether people want to believe it or not, the Yanks pitching staff performed very well last year. They just improved on that.
  
  They picked up a hard throwing youngster who benefitted from pitching in the cavernous Safeco field and soon to be 37 year old number 3 starter.</blockquote.
  
  Now posting this for like the sixth time:
  
  H – 9.58 K/9, 3.27 BB/9, 1.05 HR/9(!), 0.181 BAA, 0.220 BABIP
  A – 8.71 K/9, 2.59 BB/9, 0.86 HR?9, 0.231 BAA, 0.286 BABIP
  
  H – 3.62 FIP, 3.51 xFIP
  A – 3.26 FIP, 3.55 xFIP
  
  There's also this article by Dave Cameron: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/a-quick-note-on-michael-pinedas-splits/
  
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deathmonkey41 - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:36 PM

After all those years in New York including a World Series sweep, Bobby V is probably just tied of playing second fiddle to the Yankees. On the bright side, he’s probably used to it by now.

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hammyofdoom - Jan 14, 2012 at 8:59 PM

I don’t even see what the big deal is about these comments. They really arent inflamatory

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concernedcitizen001 - Jan 14, 2012 at 9:18 PM

“Meh”
Rather ironic as that was the consensus from Sawks Nation on Valentine’s hiring (and even some past Sox greats).

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jmmsr1 - Jan 14, 2012 at 9:32 PM

Bobby V = The village idiot – Boston go figure.

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pisano - Jan 15, 2012 at 1:02 AM

uyf1950… my friend, I was totally shocked by the moves. I was figuring Cash was going to stay pat and bring up the young kids slowly when he felt they were ready, but I’ll certainly take these moves. If as we all agree they could dump AJ on some team it would be like Christmas all over again.

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damnyankee13 - Jan 15, 2012 at 8:38 AM

Aj is going to Boston
LOL

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