Valentine 'Sorry You're Sorry' He Didn't Get Fired
BOSTON (CBS) - Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was not fired Monday morning.
But he had something to say to those that wish he was.
"For any of you who are sorry I didn't get fired, I'm sorry that you're sorry," he told reporters in Seattle, where Boston will open a three-game set with the Mariners on Monday afternoon.
Preview: Red Sox Open 3-Game Set With Mariners
Red Sox owner John Henry and general manager Ben Cherington are in Seattle, but both maintained Monday morning it was not to show Valentine the door. He will remain Boston's manager until the end of the season, when according to an MLB source, the brass will evaluate the team.
Instead, Henry called the trip out West -- where Boston has lost six straight -- as a "fact finding" mission where he'll speak with his manager and players.
"I thought it was important to show my face," Henry told CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam.
Cherington spoke with the media as well, but did not give any specifics to Valentine's job safety. He did say the current six-game losing streak has not been easy to stomach, but the blame falls on the team collectively.
"It's hard to watch. It's a reflection on all of us; mostly me," said Cherington. "It's the painful part of the process. We made a big deal because we felt it would give us the best chance to build the next really good team but we're in that painful part of that painful process where things aren't really going well."
"Wins and losses is never a great way to evaluate a manager," said Cherington. "It's always relative to talent on the roster, but certainly that's not the right way to evaluate things that are going on. We need to get the right work done every day and be mindful how guys are being used."
"All I'm doing right now and what we're focused on is what we need to get out of the next few weeks," added the Sox GM. "What can we do to the next few weeks to help us this offseason down the road build this team up again. That's all I'm focused on, I think that's what Bobby's focused on."
Roche: Time To Move On From Valentine
Henry and Valentine had breakfast in the morning, which Valentine had another retort about when asked.
"I'm always in a good mood after breakfast; it's one of my favorite meals," he said.
