2012 Cherington Campaign: Puzzle Piece #2

I don't care who made the final decision to bring on Bobby Valentine. It could be Lucchino and Henry or martians for all I care. I am just relieved that we finally got a manager worth his salt. And I was smiling all day when I saw that Valentine had gone to the Domincan Republic the day after he was announced to visit David Ortiz and play in his charity golf tourney. You gotta love this guy, right? Spitfire comes to mind.

So we have a manager. Cherington might like it, he might not -- like I said, I don't care. In all of this, I realize that the most important compoent in Red Sox nation is just that -- the nation itself. That's you. That's me. We DO matter because our love is what fuels the engine, puts butts in the seats and buys the jerseys and hats. "Someone" approved of Bobby Valentine and for that I am extremely grateful.

I read and watched everything I could about Valentine the day he was announced. The thing that stuck out the most to me was how much he wanted this. He was so nervous during the final interview process and you could feel the excitement just oozing off of him at the press conference. I love that. I don't want pretense and false assurances. I want honest, passionate leadership. People tell me all the time it's not good to wear your heart on your sleeve. Why not? What's wrong with showing people how you feel? We live in the status update age. People are dying to tell us that they just ate a rotten apple and feel like puking. Bobby IS the right guy, right now.

Welcome aboard, Mr. Valentine. You haven't managed a single game yet, but thanks....for caring.

What About Us?

I have been waiting and watching -- hoping that the Red Sox would hire a worthy manager, get the off-season in gear and satisfy all of us diehard Sox fans who are attempting to put 2011 in the rearview mirror. But every time I think I am over it, the Sox organization's inactivity just *Pacino voice* pulls me back in!

What in the world is going on? Today in the Boston Globe, Dan Shaughnessy speculates that GM Ben Cherington wants Gene Lamont (Tigers' third base coach) and CEO Larry Lucchino wants Bobby Valentine to be the next Sox manager -- and that rift in power is causing this painstaking delay in decision making. Honestly, let's just hire Valentine and be done with it. Lucchino should just make the decision. What is Cherington going to do about it? Quit? They can sort out their differences later. We all know Bobby V. is more than capable of managing the Sox. I think his baseball tenure and experience will instantly draw the respect of the players. And after weeks of interviewing no-names, did we really think Red Sox brass would let our team be run by an unknown?

I throw my hands in the air and pray this gets resolved soon. Not for them, but for us. Have they forgotten so soon they they let US down this past September? And so far, nothing has changed.