Red Sox Report: Cherington 1, Valentine 0
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Ben Cherington 1, Bobby Valentine 0. And it’s about to be 3-0 in favor of Cherington.
New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine may talk a mean game, but we learned Tuesday who carries the big stick in the organization. General manager Ben Cherington and the organization announced that shortstop Jose Iglesias has been sent down to the minors where he will start the season in Pawtucket. It also appears that Daniel Bard will be a member of the team’s starting rotation and not pitch out of the bullpen and that Ryan Lavarnway will be heading to the minors sometime soon.
These three decisions fly in the face of Valentine’s preference which was to have Iglesias with the parent club, Bard back in the bullpen and Lavarnway in Boston.
Earlier this spring, the Sox skipper said that he believed that Iglesias was “ready for the Big League’s right now.” Today, after Iglesias was officially sent down, Valentine was singing a different tune.
"It was not a tough decision," Valentine said. "Eventually things play themselves out, and it's easy to do the right thing. He needs to work a little more on the consistency of his swing and play," he said. "He's been working on things and about two weeks ago he had a mechanic that looked like it was real functional. I think an 0 for 3 took him out of it. That's one of the things he has to develop, a confidence in his program."
That’s quite an about face for Valentine and there are rumblings that he may not have the complete respect of his clubhouse because of his wordy approach.
Valentine is quick to speak his mind and talk a tough game, sometimes to the dismay of those who play for him. What makes matters worse is his decision not to stick to his guns. He may find that his players would respect him more if he stood by his bold statements instead of flip-flopping as he did in the case of Iglesias.
In regard to Bard, a report by Sean McAdam suggested that Valentine told opposing scouts that he did not agree with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation. As for Lavarnway, he has suggested time and time again that they need to find a spot for him in Boston.
While the decisions to start Bard and send Lavarnway down have yet to be officially announced, they appear to be a foregone conclusion. Clearly the organization is going to handle personnel matters in a manner they seem fit and not according to the World of Bobby.
It makes sense that this would be the case because Valentine has only a 2-year contract while Cherington and the rest of the Red Sox front office appear to be here for the long haul.
Thank goodness it’s not three strikes and you’re out for the manager.
NOTES:
-Monday, Jon Lester had a stellar start for Boston. Tuesday it was Josh Beckett’s turn to shine. Beckett went 5 innings against Tampa Bay allowing just 1 hit and no runs. He walked 3 and struck out 5. The Sox beat the Rays 8-0.
-Cody Ross belted a 3-run homer for Boston in the win on Tuesday. It was his team-leading 4th of the spring. Ross also leads the club in RBI with 11. He is hitting .342.
-Valentine confirmed Tuesday that Carl Crawford (wrist) will start the season in Florida at extended spring training when the team heads north to open the regular season. Valentine emphasized that his wrist is doing very well and that there have been no setbacks as of late. However, he also acknowledged that he is on a very deliberate program to rehab the injury and that will require him remaining in Fort Myers.
-With Iglesias heading down to the minors and Crawford staying in Florida, Bobby Valentine is tinkering with the idea of starting shortstop Mike Aviles batting lead-off. Aviles is hitting .313 (15-48) this spring but his on-base percentage is also .313 because he has yet to draw a walk. The good news is that he has only struck out twice. Jacoby Ellsbury was the team’s lead-off hitter last year but Valentine has suggested that he may be better served to have more plate appearances with runners on base because of his productive bat.
-Injured Red Sox pitcher John Lackey issued a public apology today for a comment he made to the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy. "I apologize for my thoughtless choice of words that appeared in print earlier today,” he said. “ I meant no harm, and I am sorry to all I offended."
When asked about last year’s beer and fried chicken controversy in the clubhouse, Lackey usstered the following statement. “Guys having a beer after their start has been going on for the last 100 years,’’ Lackey said. “This is retarded. It’s not like we were sitting up there doing it every night. It’s not even close to what people think.’’
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