Q.  OK, so what were these big successes?

A2.  Well, we're not talking Mike Scioscia here.  But he was handed challenges and he came out the winner.  There are a whale of a lot of guys who didn't.

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In 1985, Valentine was handed a 99-loss Rangers team in midseason.  Would you have wanted this 1985 Rangers team?

93 OPS+, yuk.  91 ERA+, double yuk.  You know what was much worse?  30-somethings Toby Harrah, Buddy Bell, Cliff Johnson ... Burt Hooton, Frank Tanana ... a roster crammed with Entitled Vets.

The next year, did the Rangers lose 99 with that roster full of 100-loss Entitled Vets?   They won 87 games!, and you tell me if you can figure out how.  

I don't say that it's a miracle, but I do say that it counts in Valentine's favor.

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Q.  The 1987-91 Rangers didn't blossom too well -- they played .500.

A.  Yeah, we're not saying that Valentine was Bobby Cox in his first go-round.   But in 1987-88 you could easily argue that the dry rot was simply impossible to overcome, and in 1989 forward they got better, not worse.

Grade B for the young Valentine's Rangers experience.

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Q.  What were these big successes?

A2.  In 1996, Valentine was handed another weak, 91-loss team, this time with just a month to go.

In 1997, did the Mets lose 90+ again?  No, he won 88 games with them -- essentially, he had Don Wakamatsu's 2009 season.

..............

But in his 2nd full year with the Mets, things didn't fall apart like they did for Don:  he won another 88 in year two, consolidating gains.

And then in year 3?  He won 97 games!    Not with overwhelming talent, either:  the 1999 Mets had a 103 offense and 104 pitching.   They didn't get Pythag-lucky -- Bobby V scored them a +142 run differential with that average-solid pitching and hitting.  That's a manager's job, I'd say.

He was kept out of the World Series only by a glorious 1990's Braves team.

..............

In year 4, he won 94 games again...

In year 5, it spiralled down.

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Q.  Does the year-5 Mets disappointment speak badly about Bobby V?

A.  Most high-energy guys don't wear well on players, over the course a decade.   But that's exactly what I want for the next Mariner manager:  a Big Name, high credibility, short-shelf guy who will transition these young players for us.

Valentine is what, close to 60 now.  You're not looking for a young Walter Alston (which we thought maybe Wakamatsu was).  We need to win and Now.  For that, you want a Godzilla manager.

.....................

But, you know what ... if Valentine did become annoying after several years in New York ... his time in uber-correct Japan might have filed off the edges anyway.  It's not unpossible that Valentine could have his longest run in Seattle.  It's just that he wouldn't need to.

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Part 3

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