Former Mets and Rangers manager Bobby Valentine was introduced as the 45th manager in Red Sox history Thursday.
“This day is a special day, and it’s more than a special day. It’s the beginning of a life that I think is going to extend beyond anything else that I thought of doing,” said the 61-year-old, who replaces Terry Francona on the bench. “Tito [Francona] did a fantastic job.”
Valentine represents new general manager Ben Cherington’s first significant move since filling Theo Epstein’s shoes.
The longtime manager started with Texas back in 1985 and stayed there until being let go in 1992. His best season was a second place finish in 1986 when the Rangers went 87-75.
Four years later Valentine got another shot in the majors with the Mets. Armed with a more-talented team, “Bobby V” won between 88 and 97 games a season from 1997-2000 while leading New York to a pair of playoff appearances—including a World Series appearance—before being let go following the 2002 season.
