Bobby Valentine is no longer the manager of the Boston Red Sox, as the organization announced his firing Thursday afternoon. The news ends a short one-year tenure for Valentine, who managed the Red Sox to a disappointing 69-93 record, the club's worst since 1994.
From the beginning, Valentine seemingly didn't fit into the Red Sox culture and lost control of the clubhouse not far into the 2012 season. The former New York Mets and Texas Rangers manager did deal with multiple injuries to key players, however, SB Nation blog Over The Monster lays the blame on Valentine for overseeing one of the worst seasons in team history.
It's been Bobby Valentine throwing players and coaches alike under the bus. It's been Bobby Valentine making awful in-game decisions, particularly with his bullpen. It's been Bobby Valentine snapping at media members for daring to ask who was pitching over the weekend and then going further when they dared to wonder if perhaps his dismissive public attitude meant he had given up.
As is his modus operandi, Bobby Valentine became the center of attention in Boston. And, as has happened in the past, that only served to highlight his numerous failings.
Its unclear what the organization's next move will be, as there will need to be a lot of discussion about who can help rebuild a franchise that has put together back-to-back heartbreaking seasons. The good news is, the first step has been taken.