Bobby Valentine, Gene Lamont Named Finalist for Boston’s Managerial Search
By Editorial Staff
The Boston Red Sox are expected to name their next manager in the coming days and, barring any surprises, it will either be Bobby Valentine or Gene Lamont. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington wants to announce his next manager before the Winter Meetings start on the 5th of December, and Valentine and Lamont each received second interviews early last week.
While things have quieted down a bit over the Thanksgiving holiday, things expect to get back up to full speed in a hurry Monday. John Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported yesterday that Valentine and Lamont are Boston’s finalists and that the club will be announcing a decision within the next week.
In their search for Terry Francona’s replacement, Cherington and the Red Sox have made it clear they are looking for a skipper with big league experience. For both Valentine and Lamont, this experience came nearly a decade ago.
Lamont, currently the third base coach of the Detroit Tigers, managed the White Sox from 1992 to 1995, compiling a record of 258 and 210 over his three plus seasons in Chicago. Going 67 and 46 during the strike shortened season of 1994, Lamont was fired by the White Sox in 1995 after his club started the year losing 20 of their first 31 games.
Two years later Lamont took over the reins in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for Lamont, he was unable to lead the Pirates to a winning season over his four years with the club. Lamont was let go following the 2000 season.
Valentine, currently an analyst for ESPN, got his first taste of managerial work with the Texas Rangers in 1985. Valentine spent the next eight years in Texas, compiling a record of 581 and 605 with the Rangers.
Parting ways with the Rangers in 1992, Valentine went on to become the skipper of the New York Mets four years later. Valentine experienced greater success in the Big Apple, maintaining a record of 536-467 over his seven years with the Mets. The highlight of Valentine’s stay in New York came in 2000, when he led the Mets to the World Series.
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