Baseball sports book, Valentine’s Way by Bobby Valentine is available in hardback & Kindle formats
https://www.amazon.com/Valentines-Way-Adventurous-Life-Times/dp/1637580940/ref=monarch_sidesheet
BaseballBiz is also on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, Spotify & Google podcasts
You can reach Mark @TheBaseballBiz & Brandon @SportsBlitzPod on Twitter
Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward"
Baseball sports book, Valentine’s Way by Bobby Valentine is available in hardback & Kindle formats
https://www.amazon.com/Valentines-Way-Adventurous-Life-Times/dp/1637580940/ref=monarch_sidesheet
BaseballBiz is also on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, Spotify & Google podcasts
You can reach Mark @TheBaseballBiz & Brandon @SportsBlitzPod on Twitter
Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward"
bobby valentine,
his manager strategy from Rangers, Japan, Mets, Red Sox
[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: Welcome to BaseballBiz. I'm Mark Corbett, your host, and with me today we have a very special guest, and that's Mr. Bobby Valentine. And most of you all know who he is, but for the few of you who haven't paid enough attention to life, I'll give you a, an update. This guy, he is he's an author for one thing.
[00:00:26] Mark Corbett: I, I've loved reading his latest book, Valentine's Way, but Bobby has a lot story to tell. He's been involved with baseball from, as a youth, and he's also been through as far as a player in Major League baseball. But also as a career manager and being part of baseball business, that's a big thing.
[00:00:44] Mark Corbett: What we like to talk about with Bobby today. And Bobby, thank you for joining us today.
[00:00:50] Bobby Valentine: Hey, mark. Good being with you. Thank you very much. I hope you and your listeners are well and enjoying the baseball
[00:00:57] Mark Corbett: season. Absolutely, man. It's exciting. [00:01:00] It's just a 10th of the way into the season but already a lot of crazy stuff going on out there.
[00:01:06] Mark Corbett: It's a lot about building a team and managing a team and like I said, being part of baseball business. We wanna talk about that. But first I wanted thank you to a good friend of mine, Jeff Brown, who's a grandfather, Phil Cavarretta. He admired you. I know both of them did. Phil, I think was with the, he Mets at one point when you were there as well.
[00:01:25] Mark Corbett: But Buddy Jeff he said he says one thing. He says when I think of him, I think also like of Joe Torry and both of those, they remind me of my grandpa, classy, smart, and a
[00:01:34] Bobby Valentine: true leader. Yeah, Phil was a hitting coach when I was a player. Great person. He came every day with a smile and always wanted to help.
[00:01:46] Mark Corbett: Jeff was talking about being a leader. That is such a key to being a manager of a team and there's so many facets. It, I know we have just a little time today, so I'm gonna try to keep it keep it short and sweet. But there's so many things [00:02:00] when starting, like from your transition to a player, to a manager how difficult was that and was there anybody there to give you some guidance?
[00:02:11] Bobby Valentine: I can't really say it went that quickly, but what happened is I broke my leg when I was a young player, 23 years old. I hung on as a player for another six years, but realized that Mike Mike. Career wasn't going to be as a player that I was just gonna be a hold on and an extra player until they released me.
[00:02:31] Bobby Valentine: And finally Joe Torre released me in 79. I hooked up with the Mariners for one more year and then realized that I loved baseball enough that I was going to start all over. And so I became a roving instructor in the minor leagues in the lowest minor leagues. I would go around and try to impart knowledge to young players and then an opening came up when I was 32 years old to coach third base with the New York Bets.
[00:02:59] Bobby Valentine: And [00:03:00] when you're a young person and you're coaching people who are older than you, you start to establish those leadership qualities that are needed in order to manage them eventually. And by the time I was 35, I caught another break where. One of my teammates, Tom Grie who sat the bench with me, with the New York Mets, we played seldom, but we were in uniform together every day.
[00:03:29] Bobby Valentine: Tom Grie became the general manager of the Texas Rangers and hired me as the manager. So at an early age I was leading and learning to lead and it's not as easy as it looks.
[00:03:46] Mark Corbett: I don't know, man, anybody who watches it. I don't think I see any manager who I look at, oh, that's gotta be an easy job.
[00:03:52] Mark Corbett: And part of that, you, we all see whether there's something going on in the field. But we also know there's a lot going back in the locker room and a lot in the front [00:04:00] office and looking at you. I know with the Texas Rangers, Bobby I'm seeing what you mean. You even had to go through a part of a time where a transition of ownership.
[00:04:08] Mark Corbett: But before we get into that, I wanna say too, kudos to you because early on you were addressing things that people weren't really looking at yet. Analytics I read the one part in the book where you're talking about waiting outside in St. Pete at the bookstore for him to open to get the latest bill James baseball
[00:04:25] Bobby Valentine: Abstract.
[00:04:26] Bobby Valentine: Yeah, it was crazy. As a matter of fact, I was at the mall before the bookstore opened and the book, the books were delivered and they were laying on the floor in front of the bookstore, if you could imagine, in beautiful St. Pete, Florida. Oh, yeah. As I remember it. And I just took one of the books and left the money on the pile of waiting for the owner.
[00:04:48] Bobby Valentine: The off went off to practice where I was being that young 32 year old coach with the Mets and the Met Organization. Yeah, [00:05:00] that was cool. 1982 as I remember.
[00:05:02] Mark Corbett: Wow. Yeah. I'll tell you what, man that's exciting because you are looking with a foresight that a lot of people hadn't already addressed.
[00:05:09] Mark Corbett: Analytics has always become such a big part of the game today. But you saw that as well. I, and the other thing I was looking at too is you had a strength and conditioning coach. A lot of people didn't know that there was some other ways people were getting strong in the game you were looking at, what was it?
[00:05:27] Mark Corbett: Was it Tom house? Yeah,
[00:05:29] Bobby Valentine: sure. Tom H House was a a fabulous coach on my staff. He was a player. He was the guy who caught Hank Aaron 15th bullpen Atlanta Fulton Stadium. And one of the great guys and one of the real creative people to ever work in baseball. He and I just wanted to figure it out.
[00:05:53] Bobby Valentine: We, we didn't wanna just say, yes, we heard what is true. We wanted to try to prove [00:06:00] what was true. Yeah, not only using analytics we were using slow motion video back in, in the mid eighties. We were video taping swings and throws so that we could watch them in slow motion.
[00:06:17] Bobby Valentine: But it, it wasn't anything like the technology of today for sure. But we were, we tried to scratch the surface and then we got a little deeper.
[00:06:27] Mark Corbett: Yeah. And and again, somebody has to scratch that surface in the beginning. We're talking about strength and development, but also managing your assets.
[00:06:35] Mark Corbett: And by that the players keeping them healthy. I was reading in your book also about Nolan Ryan and making sure to extend his career in there. So there were I what you weren't necessarily out there having him pitch over a hundred per game.
[00:06:50] Bobby Valentine: When we first got Nolan, he was coming off of an elbow injury where we weren't quite sure what those elbow Inj injuries were and again, in, [00:07:00] in the late eighties.
[00:07:01] Bobby Valentine: And Tommy John who was a teammate of mine, actually hurt his elbow and had that operation that we now call Tommy John's surgery. But Nolan opt not to do that. And Dr. James, Andrew said You better to limit his pitches. And along with what we were doing with Nolan, we met with Dr.
[00:07:23] Bobby Valentine: Andrews. We met with other people in the field of orthopedic surgery. And we decided that 15 pitches an inning was probably what. What an arm could do. And if we were going to do it for nine innings, that'd be 135 pitches if it was done at a regular pace. And we implemented a pitch count back then which was almost unheard of.
[00:07:50] Bobby Valentine: Yeah.
[00:07:50] Mark Corbett: But it was the beginning of some healthy steps for maintaining a great player and probably part of the reason we've all been able to enjoy extended career, if you [00:08:00] will, with Nolan Ryan. So thank you for that as a baseball fan as well.
[00:08:04] Bobby Valentine: Yeah, and I'm gonna be in Texas this coming weekend where Nolan's documentary is going to be shown after the Sunday game on May 1st.
[00:08:14] Bobby Valentine: I'm looking forward to seeing Nolan, a lot of the old guys who had a lot to do with his career.
[00:08:21] Mark Corbett: That's great man. I hope you enjoy that. I know all the fans will there as well. Getting to the part of the manager, we were talking about analytics and strength and some of the technical aspects.
[00:08:31] Mark Corbett: But a big part again is working with that front office and working with players, and you've got a lot of personalities and as a leader you have to search yourself. But sometimes those personalities I saw like what, even when you were the rangers GU go, he was like what are you doing with this Nolan Ryan Guy?
[00:08:48] Mark Corbett: At least what I could see, he's guess what buddy? He's a talent and we've gotta take care of him. So was it difficult to communicate through those folks or was it even necessary and you say, look, I'm the manager and here's how it's [00:09:00] gonna get done.
[00:09:01] Bobby Valentine: No, I think it was I tried to talk to people about being a team and that the most unfair thing that a leader could do is treat people who were.
[00:09:17] Bobby Valentine: Alike the same way. I had Kenny Rogers, a young left hander on the team at the time. I had Nolan Ryan on the team to think that I was going to treat a 21 year old. Lefthanded pitcher from Plant City, Florida, to the same as I would treat a 40 year old right hander from Alvin, Texas, who is at the end of his career.
[00:09:43] Bobby Valentine: One at the beginning of his career was probably the most unfair thing a leader could do. Nolan had some special situations. He needed the workout after he pitched. So if he pitched the last day of a home stand. He would [00:10:00] stay in Texas, get his workout in the next morning at seven or eight.
[00:10:05] Bobby Valentine: Am when he would wake up, finish a workout, catch a plane and meet the team in the city that we were off to. And a lot of guys couldn't figure out exactly why that was happening because that old mentality was everyone stands in line and marches to the same beat.
[00:10:26] Bobby Valentine: But the fact of the matter is you treat individuals as individuals and then they become a team.
[00:10:35] Mark Corbett: Wise words, brother. I tell you I'm glad to hear that it. As a manager, when I was younger and I didn't watch so as much at the depth of this, I thought, this man controls everything about this team.
[00:10:47] Mark Corbett: I thought he picks all of his players. He knows everything he's gonna do. People like Stein better should not even breathe it to people like a manager. But that doesn't happen. And sometimes the [00:11:00] communication isn't there. I know. Reading your book again, I was looking at the story about.
[00:11:04] Mark Corbett: Steve hel here's Guy. You know your who's on your team, things are looking great, and you're reaffirming some things, and then everything changes.
[00:11:14] Bobby Valentine: It does change and Steve Bhel is a great guy and one of my favorite players at the time just had a situation where he was older.
[00:11:27] Bobby Valentine: We had young guys coming up. He could be a free agent soon. So we're trying to see what his value was. When we realized the value wasn't going to be met I had lunch with him and said, Hey, don't worry about it. You're not getting traded. Today's the deadline, but you're gonna be with us. But the team, Pittsburgh Pirates came back and upped the offer.
[00:11:49] Bobby Valentine: So all of a sudden the price the price was met and I had to take out in the fifth inning, I guess after. I told him he wasn't going to be traded and [00:12:00] told him I was only kidding at lunch. You really did get traded. Oh damn, brother.
[00:12:05] Mark Corbett: I tell you that, that's gotta hurt. In the middle of a game, it's by the way, we're moving you.
[00:12:11] Mark Corbett: Now you're just time to leave. That's gotta be tough. But I that's part of your job as the manager.
[00:12:18] Bobby Valentine: Working together with Tom Grieve was really fun again. He was such a a good person and I was lucky enough to have him as my friend and also have him as my boss.
[00:12:31] Bobby Valentine: That, that was a, an amazing seven years of building a team and building relationships
[00:12:41] Mark Corbett: and you build a lot with that team. We know one of the things that, while I was telling you about my little, my pic view of what a manager might be was. You were involved in what made that team tick and what was gonna be part of their future.
[00:12:55] Mark Corbett: You were very involved in making sure that they were gonna be able to get that new stadium for the Texas
[00:12:59] Bobby Valentine: Rangers.[00:13:00] That was part of my job. I lived in the community all year round and during the winter time when the votes were going to be cast by the city council as to whether or not they were going to increase the sales tax by a half percent by those people who didn't live in the area to allow the funding to go to building a new stadium.
[00:13:26] Bobby Valentine: I was out on the. On the soapbox preaching the virtues of baseball and professional teams and new stadiums and all that good stuff so that people would get in tuned as to the value of keeping a team. You know what at that time, mark Tampa St. Pete had built that dome that's still standing where the play today, but it was new at the time and it was.
[00:13:57] Bobby Valentine: Tease factor for Major League [00:14:00] baseball teams that a major league baseball team that wanted to build a new stadium would say to their constituents if you don't give us the money, we're going to leave and go to Tampa. Cuz they already have a new stadium and we'll just pick up and leave.
[00:14:13] Bobby Valentine: And I guess the White Sox and the Giants and the Rangers all benefited by teasing their constituents that they were actually gonna leave and move to Tampa. And instead of letting the baseball team move most of these franchises got what they needed. Yeah, I
[00:14:38] Mark Corbett: loved reading that part.
[00:14:39] Mark Corbett: As a matter of fact I pulled that excerpt from your book on a show we did a few weeks ago about teams that were moving. And looking for funding for their stadium. So I said I saw that, I can't remember. Did you refer to it as a mausoleum an empty maum at that point?
[00:14:54] Bobby Valentine: To the, it, you know that the place down there in Tampa just it's not [00:15:00] inspiring except for the fact that it's built some really spectacular teams.
[00:15:06] Bobby Valentine: Yeah. It's a great organization in a crummy building.
[00:15:10] Mark Corbett: Having been a fan and living down here in Tampa for several years, I can appreciate that. So thank you buddy. Let's see, what else? Oh my gosh, man. If you're looking at changes in your life and after the Texas Rangers you're looking across the water you're looking at Japan, that was a whole new
[00:15:29] Bobby Valentine: thing, wasn't it?
[00:15:31] Bobby Valentine: Oh yeah. That kind of changed my whole life. After. Texas. I actually got a job with the Mets in the AAA organization and managed there. And while I was managing there a Japanese team hired a president, general manager to spend the year in the United States, go around the states, figure out who it is that could possibly be the first ever non Japanese to [00:16:00] manage in the professional league in Japan.
[00:16:02] Bobby Valentine: And this baseball. God from Japan Hika spent his year, interviewed people, watched them, managed to ask questions about him. And finally, after the season was over met with me and offered me the job to be the first ever non Japanese to manage in Japan. And I jumped at the opportunity.
[00:16:28] Bobby Valentine: I thought it was something that would change my life and it did. Yeah, and
[00:16:34] Mark Corbett: you came back later on in your career as well. I remember as far as winning some a championship as well. Can't remember.
[00:16:40] Bobby Valentine: Yeah. That was in 2005. Yeah, that was, yeah I kinda jumped back and forth. I was there, came back, managed the Mets for seven years, went back to Japan, managed the air for seven years, and extended, all that stuff.
[00:16:56] Bobby Valentine: It was fun. And now I'm out in California. I'm [00:17:00] advising the general manager. I'm doing TV, pre and post game for the LA Angels and it's amazing to see Tani and Trout on the same field every night. When you talk about world class it's come a long way to bring the worlds together.
[00:17:20] Bobby Valentine: Yeah,
[00:17:21] Mark Corbett: it has. And I guess now, cause I know that one thing I read in your book too is you've actually learned Japanese. I thought, wow, there's not enough managers who can speak to all the players on the team anyway these days. That was encouraging but when you came back, you were you were offered a job, I think initially as a Mets manager, but it didn't prove to be actually on the MLB big show Mets to start with.
[00:17:42] Mark Corbett: It was kinda like, okay, come on in, come on over, Bobby, we got this gig for you. Oh, by the way, did we tell you're gonna be going to
[00:17:48] Bobby Valentine: Norfolk? Yeah. It's the way it worked out. Yeah, I came back thinking I'd leave a. A promising job and [00:18:00] career managing in Japan to come back and manage the Mets.
[00:18:03] Bobby Valentine: But when I got there the general manager said he was he was only kidding, but there was a job opening that I could interview for it triple. I luckily for my life and my career, it all worked out where I got to manage the Mets later in that season, in August after being back in AAA and had a really spectacular time in New York.
[00:18:31] Mark Corbett: That's fantastic. And a lot of people say they just lucked into that. The thing of it is, one, you have to already have created a career and you have to be able to make sure you're smart about how to. To take care of the what I wanna say, the potential opportunities that come become before you.
[00:18:47] Mark Corbett: And you had a lot of guidance over the years too. Your good friend and a gentleman who we all love and passed this and that's Mr. Lasorda. I know he had been a driving force too in [00:19:00] your early career.
[00:19:02] Bobby Valentine: Oh, Tommy Lasorda. It was my guardian angel, he just Hooked on, then attached, we attached to each other in rookie baseball where he was the manager.
[00:19:15] Bobby Valentine: People always think of him just as the hall of fame manager that he became he started at the bottom. That's in rookie ball. That's where he played two and a half months. Traveling around and buses and 10 hour bus rides. And after doing that for a few years, he went to aaa and after doing that league manager I was lucky enough to play for him in Ogden, Utah, rookie Ball in aaa, in Spokane, Washington, and the Dominican Republic in Santa Domingo.
[00:19:51] Bobby Valentine: And in Venezuela. In Caracas. And he was making his his mark as I was making mine. [00:20:00] So we started together and as it turned out He finished we finished together where I was lucky enough to give the eulogy at his funeral. And his impact on my life was immeasurable.
[00:20:22] Mark Corbett: People will get there if they read the book. And if it's, again, I'm going to encourage people, the name of the book is Valentine's Way by Bobby Valentine, who we're talking with right now. I know, but you and Lasorda got to work together. You brought him on your All Star team, didn't you? Huh?
[00:20:37] Bobby Valentine: Yeah.
[00:20:37] Bobby Valentine: I was never in uniform with him in the major leagues. I got traded from the Dodgers in 72. He became a coach with the Dodgers in the Major Leagues in 73. So we went on our separate ways and when I got to manage the 2001 All Star game, I petitioned the commissioner to allow [00:21:00] Tommy to be in uniform even though he had already retired as a manager.
[00:21:04] Bobby Valentine: Brought him back for that day in July. And he was the my bench coach, if you will, and then even had a stint as the third base coach for an inning. Much against my my thoughts. He said, Bobby, put me out there. I'll get you some runs. Put me out there at third base. And I put him out in the first batter that Was that the plate was Vladimir Guerrero Sr boy, who swung at one of those sliders like he often did and let go of the bat.
[00:21:36] Bobby Valentine: And the bat was propelled in Las soda's direction right at his head. Ouch. Down at the third base coaching box L luckily he did a back roll, the bat, batty looted him, and he got a standing ovation when he got back to his feet. Oh
[00:21:53] Mark Corbett: God. Oh. Those are the stories that make baseball the [00:22:00] legends.
[00:22:00] Mark Corbett: But those special moments that everybody can remember, recall it may not be the grand Slam sometimes it's just those simple moments like that, that warm our hearts when it comes to the game oh, yeah. Memories. Or memories. Yep. Mark, you're right.
[00:22:16] Mark Corbett: You like when I was talking about Tommy Lasorda being a friend and a mentor, There was a bit of guidance you got early in your career too, I guess it was in your, when you were in Texas, and that came from Tom Landry that was about picking your own coaches.
[00:22:30] Mark Corbett: I think of like when a president comes into office and they have to have their own cabinet, they've gotta have people that they can trust and come up with. And I, I always hope that's the case with a manager, but that isn't always how it happens. You've had to confront that in a couple of different places, haven't you?
[00:22:48] Bobby Valentine: Yeah. Landry came in. He was, he lived in Stanford, Connecticut cuz he was a friend of Andy, Rob Robustelli, who and a teammate Andy was from Stanford, [00:23:00] Connecticut. He became a Hall of Fame, defensive end for the Giants and later the general manager for the giants, later a businessman in Stanford, Connecticut.
[00:23:11] Bobby Valentine: And Because I was now in Texas, and Tom Landry and Andy were friends. Andy gave him a call and he said, stop in on the young guy and gave him some advice. So after about 30 minutes of sitting in my office telling me some of the good restaurants to go to in the Dallas metroplex he got up to leave and said, Hey, I have one bit of advice I have for you.
[00:23:35] Bobby Valentine: And said, what's that? He said, make sure your coaches speak your language. And that was, that's just so true in that you don't have to have people who are yes man men on your staff, but you have to have people who are speaking your speak, right? So that the players are hearing things in stereo and they're not confused.
[00:23:58] Bobby Valentine: It's only a six month [00:24:00] season. And sometimes mixed messages could cause a series to be lost or even a game to be lost because Person is a little confused by the message that's being delivered. So yeah that was a really impactful message that was delivered.
[00:24:17] Mark Corbett: Yeah. And I wish sometimes wouldn't it be, man, it would be nice if managers had their own C b A with m l b, because I sometimes feel like managers are taking advantage of, I looked at Toms, she this past year, and I'm like, really Philosophical differences?
[00:24:32] Mark Corbett: I'm not gonna get into that cuz that's their situation to deal with. But as a fan you wind up scratching your head. See? I don't feel like somebody's treating that guy. And so it's coming in, being able to have your own set, set of coaches, like I said, not necessarily being a reflection of everything you think about, but people you can work with.
[00:24:49] Mark Corbett: People who can, what do I wanna say? Who have a professional mindset like yourself who say, okay, this gentleman's the manager. I'm the coach, I'm gonna give [00:25:00] my input. But guess what, as a team, we have a manager. We have to follow a thought process and we gotta work together. Yeah. In Japan they have a wonderful ritual, and that is when you win a championship, all the players gather around in the middle of the field after doing their celebration, and then they pick the manager in their hands and they.
[00:25:25] Bobby Valentine: Hoist them in the air and they catch 'em, and then they hoist them in the air and then they catch 'em and they hoist them in the air and they catch 'em three times. And the reason they do that is because to win a championship, what's needed is for the players to trust the manager, right? And once you win the championship, then it's the time for the manager to trust the player.
[00:25:51] Bobby Valentine: You know that kinda symbolism holds true in every organization that you don't [00:26:00] know what the outcome is going to be until it's over, and then it's usually too late. And to get the best outcome any group needs to be together and be on the same page. And that usually takes trust in leadership.
[00:26:18] Bobby Valentine: Yeah.
[00:26:18] Mark Corbett: I'm glad to hear that was the case, certainly in Japan, and I didn't realize that that what that ritual was about. So thank you for sharing that with us too. Tommy, again, we're talking about Tommy Lasa from Valentine's Way's book out there. I'm gonna say it's, if I didn't say it earlier, this, it's a great read.
[00:26:34] Mark Corbett: People I got caught up in it. Once you start going through it is, it's very easy to read. And for somebody like me, little short chapters help, but I couldn't help but want going onto the next chapter and. One of the chapters really caught me too, is I think thin way, 100 and once you get to Boston and that was a little bit of a rough ride, wasn't it?
[00:26:58] Bobby Valentine: Yeah. And just for [00:27:00] clarification, all listeners out there, he's not doing a seance here. This, he's talking Mark and Bobby Valentine talking about Tommy Lasorda. Yeah, when I. Boston. It was a seventh month journey. I was there to weed out the week and clean up the mess.
[00:27:23] Bobby Valentine: It seemed like there was a mess when I got there. And there was some chicken and beer and dis dissension and guys who were on different pages and yeah I got Enjoy the 100th anniversary of Fway Park with great celebrations during the year where great, some of the great players from the past came back and they had a lot of those celebrations, but also had a very trying season where There, there were more injuries, I think, on the team [00:28:00] to good players and to other players than than any other team had experienced up until that time.
[00:28:08] Bobby Valentine: And there's a lot of crazy stuff going on, that's for sure. You dealt with it well. I'm gonna pause here. I guess I dealt with it the best that I could. Yeah.
[00:28:21] Mark Corbett: I'm gonna pause here for just a second. Did I misspeak and say Tommy Lasorda? Yeah.
[00:28:25] Bobby Valentine: Oh good lord. That's alright. I cleaned it up. I
[00:28:28] Mark Corbett: appreciate that.
[00:28:29] Mark Corbett: Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and wrap things up cause I know you gotta take care of
[00:28:32] Bobby Valentine: business. Yeah. Thanks, bro. Sure.
[00:28:35] Mark Corbett: Bobby I wanna thank you again. Your career didn't end there because you started out life and a lot of things you were doing in Stanford and you came back there as a community leader, you were doing a lot.
[00:28:46] Mark Corbett: What was it? Was Sacred Heart, the you with the athletics department? How'd that work out?
[00:28:52] Bobby Valentine: I spent seven years being the director of athletics at sacred Heart University, division [00:29:00] one school in Fairfield, Connecticut. Had a great experience and opportunity to do what I had to do.
[00:29:07] Bobby Valentine: And when I left, I got a building with my name on it. We had 32 division one sports teams that were flourishing and I was really proud of that experience.
[00:29:20] Mark Corbett: I think it's always great when you come back home as you're through a career. And I know you've done a lot with that.
[00:29:26] Mark Corbett: I know you, you've you ran for political office and you continue to do work there as well, but you've also, as you pointed out to us you're working with the Angels and I know you got a game a little bit later today,
[00:29:36] Bobby Valentine: don't you? Yeah, game four against the guardians who are in town from Cleveland.
[00:29:42] Bobby Valentine: And it would be an amazing sweep if we could win all four. Gonna get out there and see how everyone feels. Make sure Mike Trout's. Hamstrings. Okay. And show Tani is ready to go after getting the win on the [00:30:00] mound and getting a couple hits at the plate. Boy, is that a scene?
[00:30:04] Bobby Valentine: Scene to watch at the major league level. And see if we keep the ball rolling.
[00:30:09] Mark Corbett: Yeah, it's exciting times. I know. Watch The Angels is always fun. I wish you and the Angels a great season, my friend and Bobby Valentine again, it's great having you here. We're talking about your book also Valentine's Way.
[00:30:21] Mark Corbett: I, again, I cannot encourage folks enough to read this book because you're gonna love it. I think it's available in hard back and Kendall. So any other final words you'd like to share? Any guidance you'd like to give of future baseball players or managers?
[00:30:35] Bobby Valentine: Just that passion is what you wanna follow.
[00:30:38] Bobby Valentine: And Mark, you do a great job with your your podcast here. And hopefully people will learn from it and enjoy remember that what you're good at is what you should pursue and when you're good at stuff that you can learn to love it. So have fun and enjoy.
[00:30:55] Mark Corbett: Bobby, I can't thank you enough again, that's Bobby Valentine here on Baseball Biz.[00:31:00]
[00:31:01] Mark Corbett: It was great to have him on, and again, I encourage everybody to check out that book Valentine's Way. Thank you again for listening to Baseball Biz and we hope to talk with you real soon.
[00:31:19] Mark Corbett: Special thanks to X, take R UX for the music. Rocky.