Bob Lobel: Why Can’t Bobby Valentine Control this Team?

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Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Bob Lobel, GoLocalWorcester Sports Contributor

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

I promised myself I wouldn't write about the Red Sox for at least a week or two, but that didn't last very long. Not with Captain Queeg rolling fictitious baseballs in his hands like his on-screen counterpart Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny. The ship continues to meander as if it were rudderless, and it is unfathomable how quickly this has all unraveled.

Nobody has quit, it's just that they aren't very good. If there were a metric that measured worst performance against highest ticket prices, where do you think the Red Sox would rank? Do you know what separates the New England Patriots from that AA club we call the Red Sox?

When Bill Belichick released Deion Branch and Brian Hoyer, we are all surprised. But, we then sit back and say, "Well, he must know what he's doing. After all, he's Bill Belichick."

Never will you hear those reassuring words about this baseball team. This Red Sox disaster deserves more questions, like who is Alfredo Aceves' boss? He should be designated immediately for assignment after his antics. He showed his immaturity and, while he showed some promise early in the year, he is bringing nothing to the mound right now.

And where do we begin with Bobby Valentine?

Many people I know that have met him- and this is the truth- say he is without ego and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. On the other hand, when he puts on that uniform strange things seem to happen.

The best description of Bobby V I can remember came from a Detroit sportswriter who actually saw Valentine rant at a groundskeeper because the grass was too high. Jerry Green of the Detroit News called him "abrasive," and that about nails it.

There is a disconnect somewhere between his knowledge of the game and the way he presents himself, and it has not improved as the years have passed. With all that said, I don't think there is any way he can return to Boston next year, nor do I think he wants to. Would you?

Who needs all this crap? Get fired, collect your money and let us get on with our business. Oh, and take Aceves with you. Better yet, put him in the early game, watch him tank, come out to pull him and flatten him with a punch right there. Go down in history as Bobby the Great!

Heck, the fans might even want you back if you did that. Alas, since it's not likely to happen, the baseball season can't end fast enough. So, let the sellout streak continue and let the fans enjoy Fenway, no reason to boo the players or get too upset.

If you want to keep your cheering within the Fenway Sports Group, check out how Liverpool is doing. The John Henry, Tom Werner owned soccer team is having one of their worst years ever as well.  

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