page_title: Bobby Valentine
section_title: New York Mets
hierarchical_section_title: Bobby Valentine / Managerial career / New York Mets
caption_attribution_description: English: Bobby Valentine signing a ball at the Kyocera Dome Osaka. 日本語: ボビー・バレンタイン。京セラドーム大阪でボールにサインしているところ。
context_page_description: Robert John Valentine, nicknamed "Bobby V", is a former American professional baseball player and manager. He is currently the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners in MLB. He managed the Texas Rangers, the New York Mets, and the Boston Red Sox of MLB, as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball.
  Valentine has also served as the Director of Public Safety & Health for the city of Stamford, Connecticut and an analyst for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. In February 2013, CBSSports.com hired Valentine to represent its Fantasy Sports business, including running a viral marketing campaign in which he made fun of the many times he was fired in his career and gave fans a chance to "Hire or Fire Bobby V" one more time.
context_section_description: Valentine returned to the U.S. and the Norfolk Tides in 1996, managing them to an 82–59 record and second place in the International League's West Division. He then was promoted to manager of the Mets with 31 games left in the 1996 season, and led them to a 12–19 record the rest of the way.
  Over the next two seasons, with Valentine at the helm, the Mets began a resurgence, finishing 14 games over .500 (88–74) both years. Valentine's most memorable game as a manager occurred on June 9, 1999. In the 12th inning of a 14 inning marathon with the Toronto Blue Jays, Mike Piazza was called for catcher's interference on Craig Grebeck. Valentine was ejected by home plate umpire Randy Marsh for arguing the call, and returned to the dugout an inning later in a disguise (sunglasses  and a fake moustache made from Eye black). Unamused, Major League Baseball fined Valentine $5,000 and suspended him for two games. The Mets went on to win the game 4–3.
  Valentine led the Mets to a record of 97–66 and a wild card playoff berth that season. The Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in four games (3–1) en route to the National League Championship Series, where they eventually lost to their division rival the Atlanta Braves in six games (4–2).
  In early 2000, Valentine was at the center of what would be called "The Whartongate Affair", in which he allegedly mentioned to students at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business somewhat cynical, insider comments regarding a handful of Mets players and the organization as a whole.
  The Mets returned him as manager the following season, finishing the year with a 94–68 record and another wild card playoff berth. This time, the Mets would not be denied the pennant, winning the 2000 National League Championship Series by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in five games (4–1). The Mets run would end during the 2000 World Series as they were beaten by their crosstown rival New York Yankees in five games (4–1).
  Valentine won the 2002 Branch Rickey Award for his donations and personal work with survivors of the September 11 attacks. Valentine had an uneasy, if not volatile relationship with general manager Steve Phillips, who fired three of Valentine's coaches and selected the replacements himself during the 1999 season (in a move many observers felt was an attempt to get Valentine to quit) and eventually fired him after the 2002 season. Valentine was hired by the network soon afterwards. He finished his Mets managerial career with a record of 536 wins and 467 losses.
caption: Valentine was popular with the Marines' fans
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