Of all the surprising things. Well, golly. Isn't this a fine how-do-you-do. Goodness gracious. Bobby Valentine is reportedly going to be out of work soon, with Jon Heyman getting the scoop:
The belief is Valentine's ouster will come either Thursday or Friday, though that isn't known. Some people believe the Red Sox will give Valentine the courtesy of a meeting, but several people said they don't believe there's any chance he would be able to change their minds, assuming he'd want to.
But things were going so well.
Valentine earlier made news when talking to WEEI in Boston on Wednesday, saying his coaches didn't have his back:
In his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Valentine responded to a question about whether the coaching staff and the people around him have been loyal with a simple, "No."
He was then asked if he felt like "some of these guys on the staff have undermined you at times." His answer to that question was a curt, "Yes."
So the abridged Valentimeline: Came in, banned beer in the clubhouse, chirped at Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, had a public blowhard-off with Curt Schilling, sparred with Kevin Youkilis after making questionable comments on the radio with his veteran, apologized, got into a scrum with Mike Aviles that everyone denied, benched Youkilis without talking with him, was the subject of a closed-door, player-led mutiny in July, admitted he was miserable, crashed on a bicycle while texting Dustin Pedroia, and said his coaches were back-stabbers.
Oh, he also screwed up his bullpen like the King Midas of screw. Among other things. Like leading the Red Sox to their worst season in decades.
Other than that, it's weird that they're letting him go with a year left on his contract.