Bobby Valentine isn't happy with the timing of the A's and Red Sox' trip to Japan:"I hope the Red Sox and A's have a great time here and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it but it's ludicrous that our games will be going on at the same time," Valentine said. "The timing is a mistake and I guess that's something that slipped through the cracks when they were planning the schedules."With all the fanfare surrounding the arrival in Japan of the World Series champions Boston and their Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, the opening of Japan's professional baseball season on March 20 seems like an afterthought.
I suppose he has something of a point, but when else could the visit take place? While I suppose there is some fat built in to the schedule, the A's and Red Sox feel they need five days' lead time before the first game that counts next week, and then four more days of fluff (including exhibitions in LA) on the backside. I presume this is to allow everyone to deal with the hoopla and travel. When else, other than at the beginning of the season, could such a trip take place?
That aside, anyone notice that whenever there is a story about the intersection of Japanese and American baseball, the only person quoted is Bobby Valentine? There are two other American managers in Japan and dozens of American players. It strikes me that stories like these would be helped by their opinion. I mean, for all of his virtues, Valentine is a bit of a crackpot, so maybe his opinion on the subject needs to be placed in some perspective.
1 comment:
Valentine is the biggest media whore in baseball. He's Tommy Lasorda without being lovable. That said, I thought he was the best fired-manager-turned-commentator when he was on Baseball Tonight. He was far better than Dusty Baker and Larry Bowa.
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