Bobby V may return to NL East…with the Marlins

According to his new employer, sources say Bobby Valentine is in talks with the Florida Marlins as a possible managerial candidate.

Valentine just signed a contract with ESPN to join the network as a analyst, but supposedly has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the job to manage a team.

Though the Marlins haven’t made any firings, Fredi Gonzalez is on the hot seat in terms of his job as manager of the team.  Other teams that will be looking for managers are Cleveland and Washington.

And if some fans had their way, so would the Mets.

Twitter Poll: Would you want to see Bobby Valentine managing the Mets again?

Mets fans seem to be waning on Jerry Manuel.  (My current poll is giving a very slight edge to those in favor of his dismissal.)  So that begs the question, who would they want in his place?

Bobby Valentine, who managed the Mets from the end of 1996 to 2002, seems to be a popular choice.  Though he steered them to only a .534 winning percentage under him, the Mets made two playoff appearances, including losing to the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series.

So I asked my Twitter followers, at the suggestion of ambilevous, if they would want to see Bobby V back managing the Mets.  Here are their responses…

tfc3rid said: Yes... We made the WS with Jay Payton, Benny Agbayani and Timo Perez in the OF... Enough said.

ant7701 said: yes bring him back NOW!!!!!!!!!

GSorensen said: Bobby V would be cool but that would give the impression that Jerry's at fault here and I don't think he is.

dances_w_vowels said: he would be a good choice, I'd welcome him back.

mostlymets said: No. I got tired of him toward the end of his last stint. It was all about him when it should be about the players.

mostlymets continued: Incidentally I think I'm the only Mets fan who hated the fake mustache dugout visit after Valentine was tossed. No respect.

nick6489 said: There are few better actual on field generals in the game. Let's bring back Bobby V and have suicide squeezes today!

Mets_Fever said: Bobby V. I don't believe would work well with this group his ego would clash - he needs young, no-names that he can control

rbfdds said: Bring back Bobby. V.- best option for the team. I also suggest the Wilpons sell the team to Trump. He will make Mets compete.

jderose123 said: absolutely...would bring back the "winning vibe" to the team and he has been successful in Japan

greatscott said: I'd like to see Bobby V back with the Mets because he out-managed everyone in 2000 with a lesser team and made it work.

BigVin57 said: Yes we need his fire to spark the team

DqtmaReyz said: Yes, I want Bobby V back, but not because I think Manuel has done a bad job. I like Bobby V's concept of small ball.

Mets411Blog said: No. I don't think his style and personality is right for this team. I still think Jerry should stay. Injuries aren’t his fault

4Jia said: No, I rather have an ex Met as the new manager. Preferably a player from 1986. These are my choices Backman, Teufel, Mazilli.

twayward said: NO bobby V. re-tred manager/coach almost never works in pro sports. #mets must move 4ward, not back.

kerelcoop said: Yes cause he has proven he can get the most out of his players (example the 2000 team).

letsgoduke said: doesn't matter. Can't fight tanks with pop guns.

gabefarkas said: no whats the point? Hes been there already. Rather try some1 fresh, if season is lost anyway. Better to take a chance.

ryantcarney said: Bring back Bobby V!

Not on Twitter?  Hit the comments to discuss whether or not you’d want Bobby Valentine back.

Follow me on Twitter (@TheRopolitans) to
participate in the next Twitter Poll!

FOX Sports all over the Mets managerial position today

Two articles on FOXSports.com today have to do with the Mets managerial spot.  First, I read the Ken Rosenthal column pointing out that Manuel points fingers at players instead of taking the blame on himself.  Then I read the Bob Klapisch article suggesting Bobby Valentine could be back with the Mets sooner rather than later.

Here’s Rosenthal’s argument:

Manuel, in baseball parlance, "throws guys under the bus."
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Manuel is not Ozzie Guillen, issuing rat-a-tat criticisms and threats to the White Sox on almost a daily basis. But he is also not Charlie Manuel, who rarely calls out specific players and receives unwavering loyalty from the Phillies in return.

As a media member, I certainly appreciate Manuel saying, "We can't keep sugar-coating things because that's not real." But while I like Manuel a great deal, I'm not sure I would like playing for him.

I know it doesn’t count for much, but the anti-Manuel rumblings and grumblings of Mets fans have been increasing lately.  Sure, they’re in second place and dealing with a ton of injuries, but fans seem to be growing angrier and angrier with the manager’s decision making.

I don’t think he’ll be fired anytime soon, but I wouldn’t be that surprised.

Here’s Klapsich’s argument for a possible replacement:

Despite having fired him in 2002, Met ownership has no hard feelings toward Valentine. In fact, he and GM Omar Minaya remain close friends after a successful relationship in the late '80s with the Rangers, when Valentine was managing and Minaya was a scout.

Does that mean Valentine is next in line to succeed to Jerry Manuel? It depends on whether the Mets survive September, not to mention October. But there's no question a coup is coming if the Mets fail to catch the Phillies — starting with a new manager.
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Valentine isn't sure how this corporate struggle will end, but insists he'd like to remain in Japan. That's the irony of being labeled an outsider: Valentine feels more at home in the Far East than he did in Flushing, where he was locked in a to-the-death war with then GM Steve Phillips.

Phillips ultimately prevailed, convincing the Wilpon family to fire Valentine after the 2002 season. But no one at Citi Field seems to hold that against Valentine today, certainly not when it's apparent Phillips' dismissal was based on a personal dislike.

Mets fans seem to have a fascination with Valentine.  We just passed the 10 year anniversary of one of Valentine’s classic moments as a Mets manager (the disguise in the dugout, of course).  Fans were positively tickled to celebrate.

Again, I don’t think Manuel’s sealed his fate just yet, but I think it would take a lot to pry Valentine out of Japan and back to New York.

Feast on this tidbit: Bobby Valentine?

If Jerry Manuel and the Mets can't agree on a contract, an interesting name has popped up.

David Lennon, in Newsday:

But if negotiations do fall through, one of the names that could surface again is Bobby Valentine. The club's chilly relationship with Valentine has thawed during the past year, and the Mets' job is one of the few that might prompt him to leave Japan. Having him return to open Citi Field next April would be like the franchise welcoming home a prodigal son.

I think Manuel will be back, but if he's not, I think Valentine is the next best option. He's a fan favorite, and is in that same calm, cool, collected vein of coaching that Manuel also subscribes to.

I'd do anything to see him don that fake mustache and glasses one more time in the Mets dugout.