Also, my boy, TheDay’s Mike DiMauro, is an unrelenting Yankees fan and its doubtful he’d let anyone forget the goings on in and around Fenway – he revels far too much in this sort of Sox chatter (and, though he may not have let on this year – he’s always liked Valentine).

He and I went point/counterpoint on the Red Sox/Yankees for years.

Ahhhh, the good ol’ days in the Dodd Stadium Press Box

PL, listen – I know I’ve come at you hard for your dislike of Valentine – but, I have had some personal professional interaction with the guy – and although you certainly don’t have to, I’d ask that you consider taking my word for it – he’s nothing like the way he is portrayed or comes off.

Is he combative and confrontational and sometimes says things that make you scratch your head? Yes. He also prefers that people are to the point and don’t waste his time.

But he is far from being dumb or a bad manager. His sessions at a coaches clinic I used to run were SRO in the biggest of the convention rooms we booked at Foxwoods.

But most of all, in person or on the phone, he was cordial, personable and approachable.

And that is the point of reference I have been operating from as I have witnessed the way he has been maligned and had blame shifted upon him for the failure of the players on the field to perform.

Valentine has been the victim of a bizarro character assassination that began the day he was hired.

What’s the difference between Boston and New York where he lasted SEVEN YEARS?

A decade & the presence of the Internet?

Give me an F’in break!

To go right back to another players-manager after firing Francona made no sense.

The next guy who comes in will be the anti-Bobby V and the players will never again take that for granted.

Felger of 98.5 the Sports Hub (the Boston FM sports outlet that doesn’t suck at the teat of the Red Sox) has it right – these baseball writers in Boston say NOTHING. They all have a man crush on the player of the week and will make all of these guys appear to us in the most positive light EVER, so as to not lose access to shit information in the locker room. It sucks. I want NEWS. That’s it. None of them will take a chance and report unfavorably on ANYTHING. Even when they try it comes off as more of an excuse than a correct accusation.

Sean McAdam is a dink. Right now he is the most guilty of Boston man-crush journalism with Peter Abraham and Nick Caffardo right behind. Mush-mouth Peter Gammons is in the back pocket of the Red Sox and has other problems besides just man-crushing on Dustin Pedroia.

They suck. They all suck.

In his little rant, he talked about changing pitchers and calling for hit and runs…not once did he mention having team meetings, talking to players, or doing any work whatsoever to address the mood of the players or the state of the clubhouse. He has pretty much ignored everything with respect to the fact that the players just don’t like him or playing for him. He’s just a horrible boss who fails to communicate with his employees.

I think most people would have said much worse.

Pedroia – “I WANT FRANCONA BACK WAAAAA!! WAAAAAA!!!! WAAAAAAAAA!!!! TITO!!!!!!

What a bunch of unlikeable losers. Isnt that what Boston likes anyway. They love hating their team.

“those rats fired me cause they couldn’t handle me… couldn’t handle the truth.”

Even more ridiculous? That even in the wake of last September, almost from the start of this season – the media staked out an oppositional position in alliance with players that probably knew little about Valentine other than what they learned from the media itself . . . which was obviously that he wasn’t going to coddle their delicate feelings.

Pull up a chair and join me in the Valentine Lounge!

What we’ve been conditioned to expect from managers . . . a sort of robot-speak with safe stock answers?

Or what you would expect from a guy who has been under assault by an opportunistic blood letting local media since long before the first pitch was ever thrown this season; and who just had an interview kick off with a rather tactless questioning of his integrity?

Sorry, call me weird or nuts or whatever you want. I still don’t think Bobby was the right fit for this team, but I didn’t find this interview bizarre, I found it refreshing and fearless. And I loved that Bobby was just being human in his responses. Enough already with the corporate-style BS answers.

If he is brought back, I’m perfectly fine with it at this point. If he’s not, that’s OK, too – but I’ll miss the potential for moments like what occurred this afternoon.

Bobby “Where can I get some hookers for tonight ? ”
Nick” Same plalce I do, just go to Ben’s office, he gets the best”
Bobby”No crap ? What a guy ! ”
Nick” John gets first dips on the short ones, matches his dick ! “yeah
Bobby” You mean the owner ? Really ?”I got to get out more often and party with the suits. Maybe I can meet some of the Kennedys guys.”"
Nic k”Tha’ts who you met in Ben’s office for these pole dances. “