BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox thought Bobby Valentine would restore order to a coddled clubhouse that disintegrated during the 2011 pennant race.
Instead, he only caused more problems.
The brash and supremely confident manager was fired Thursday, the day after the finale of a season beset with internal sniping and far too many losses. Valentine went 69-93 in his only year in Boston, the ballclub’s worst season in almost 50 years.
“I understand this decision,” Valentine said. “This year in Boston has been an incredible experience for me, but I am as disappointed in the results as are ownership and the great fans of Red Sox Nation. It was a privilege to be part of the 100 year anniversary of Fenway Park and an honor to be in uniform with such great players and coaches. My best to the organization.
“I’m sure next year will be a turnaround year.”
A baseball savant who won the NL pennant with the New York Mets and won it all in Japan, Valentine was brought in after two-time World Series champion Terry Francona lost control of the clubhouse during an unprecedented September collapse. But the players who took advantage of Francona’s hands-off approach bristled under Valentine’s abrasive style.
More importantly, they didn’t win for him.
Under Valentine, the Red Sox started 4-10 and didn’t break .500 until after Memorial Day. By August, when the contenders were setting their playoff roster, the Red Sox knew they would not be among them and they traded some of their best players — and biggest salaries — the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Without Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, the Red Sox will save $250 million in future salaries and have a chance to rebuild over the winter.
But that will be too late for Valentine.
“Our 2012 season was disappointing for many reasons,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “No single issue is the reason, and no single individual is to blame. … With an historic number of injuries, Bobby was dealt a difficult hand. He did the best he could under seriously adverse circumstances, and I am thankful to him.”
Cherington, who replaced Theo Epstein last offseason, will lead the search for a replacement. The team’s top target is current Toronto manager John Farrell, who has a year left on his deal with the Blue Jays.
“Our commitment to winning is unwavering. It is a commitment to this team, to this city, and to these fans who have supported us through thick and thin,” owner John Henry said. “We have confidence in Ben Cherington and the kind of baseball organization he is determined to build.”
A year after a 7-20 September cost the Red Sox a chance at the postseason, the club went 7-22 in September and October to put a punctuation mark on its worst season since 1965. Boston lost its last eight games, failing even in its role of spoiler as it was swept down the stretch by playoff contenders Tampa Bay, Baltimore and the rival New York Yankees.
That left them in last place — 26 games out — for the first time since 1992 and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.
“This year’s won-loss record reflects a season of agony. It begs for changes,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. “We are determined to fix that which is broken and return the Red Sox to the level of success we have experienced over the past decade.”
What was supposed to be a season of celebration for Fenway’s 100th anniversary was instead the worst under the current management, which bought the team in 2002. And though injuries probably doomed the Red Sox anyway — they used a franchise record 56 players — Valentine’s clumsy handling of his players forced him into frequent apologies that undermined his authority in the clubhouse.
“Difficult as it is to judge a manager amid a season that had an epidemic of injuries, we feel we need to make changes,” Lucchino said. “Bobby leaves the Red Sox manager’s office with our respect, gratitude, and affection. I have no doubt that he will continue to contribute to the game he loves so much and knows so well.”
The Red Sox had the AL’s best record on Sept. 1, 2011, and a nine-game lead in the AL wild-card race before missing out on a playoff berth on the final day of the season. Francona, who led the Red Sox to Series titles in 2004 and again in 2007, was let go after admitting that he had lost his touch in the clubhouse.
To replace him, the Red Sox picked Valentine, who took the New York Mets to the 2000 World Series and won a championship in Japan but hadn’t managed in the majors in 10 years. The move was an intentional and abrupt attempt to change a culture that enabled pitchers to drink beer and eat fried chicken in the clubhouse during games on their off-nights.
On that, Valentine delivered immediately: He banned beer from the clubhouse, and didn’t hesitate to criticize his own players publicly — something Francona took pains to avoid. But players bristled at the new accountability, with Kevin Youkilis objecting when Valentine said he wasn’t as “into the game” as before and Dustin Pedroia coming to his teammate’s defense, saying, “That’s not the way we go about our stuff around here.”
“He’ll figure that out. The whole team is behind Youk. We have each other’s backs here,” Pedroia said. “Maybe that works in Japan.”
Valentine spent seven seasons in Japan, winning the championship in 2005 with Chiba Lotte. But he had returned to the states and was working as an analyst for ESPN when the Red Sox went looking for a manager to shake up their complacent clubhouse.
Valentine said he was lured back into uniform by the chance to work with a star-laden roster and a payroll that virtually guaranteed that the Red Sox would be competitive.
But even before the season began, injuries began tearing that roster apart.
Crawford missed much of the season, joining pitchers John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled list before opening day. Potential closers Andrew Bailey and Bobby Jenks had offseason surgery; Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Clay Buchholz, Pedroia, Beckett and Youkilis also spent time on the DL.
Valentine managed to anger — if not alienate — many of those who remained.
He took issue with Beckett playing golf two days before he was scratched with shoulder stiffness. An unknown player ratted him out after he said, “Nice inning, kid,” to Will Middlebrooks in what Valentine said was actually an attempt to cheer the rookie up after he committed two errors.
In July, ownership met with players to discuss Valentine but denied reports that players called for him to be fired. Two weeks later, Henry emailed reporters to say Valentine was not to blame for the team’s record and said he would finish out the year; Pedroia agreed, saying, “It’s on the players.”
In August, management gave up on 2012 and unloaded several of the team’s most burdensome salaries on the Dodgers. Los Angeles also missed the playoffs.
Although Cherington openly conceded the season, Valentine refused to do so. Asked during his weekly radio show if he had “checked out,” Valentine jokingly said he should punch the host in the nose. (He showed up for their next interview with boxing gloves.)
In mid-September, with Boston’s Triple-A team in the playoffs and reinforcements scarce, Valentine called the Red Sox “the weakest roster we’ve ever had in September in the history of baseball.”
Again, he was forced to backtrack.
(But, again, he was probably right.)
Ultimately, Valentine will be judged on his record.
And it was dreadful.
By the time the contenders were setting their postseason rosters for the Aug. 31 deadline, Cherington knew the Red Sox were not among them and unloaded some of the more onerous contracts on the books.
The Red Sox finished the season to forget by losing 12 of 13.
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