BOSTON — When Bobby Valentine became manager of the New York Mets in 1996, he set about igniting their competition with the New York Yankees. It has been nine years since Valentine last managed in major-league baseball, but another rivalry with the Yankees is about to get a jolt.
Valentine has been hired by the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees’ chief divisional rival, to be their manager, according to a person in baseball with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
While Valentine was in Japan on a charity tour this week, the new Red Sox general manager, Ben Cherington, extended an offer, and there was little negotiation involved, the person said. Valentine agreed and is expected back in the U.S. today, with a news conference likely to be held in a few days.
Valentine, 61, brings with him the experience of more than 3,000 games managed for the Rangers, the Mets and the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He took the Mets to the World Series in 2000, losing to the Yankees in five games, and won the Japan Series with the Marines in 2005. Since leaving Japan after the 2009 season, he had been working as an analyst for ESPN.
The Red Sox needed a new manager after Terry Francona left in the wake of a historic collapse in September, when the Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of the season after holding a nine-game lead in the final month.
The New York Times
