Billy Mueller

Ya know another thought, that I guess is an obvious one and one that may have already been discussed, is the Dice-K factor. Bobby was very critical on ESPN of how we used him in the past saying we "Americanized" him too much. Bobby obviously knows the game over there and how to deal with the players. I see Dice-K being a legit starter within the next couple years.

Not to get off subject, but I mildly disagree. Players have down years all the time, especially when they go to different teams. I believe there were several factors, outside Magadan, that contributed to his lack of success. Obviously early on he was pressing, which wasnt that unusual. He's a notorious slow starter anyways. I think the pressure kind of got to him. As soon as he started to pick it up, he went on the DL. I would follow the situation closely this year, but now that Carl has a year under his belt in Boston and knows what to expect, I see him relaxing a little more and having a good season.

Lol, you must be joking.

Bobby on MLB network now

Very impressed with Bobby and Ben in the press conference. Bobby seamed teary eyed the entire time. He sounds genuinely excited to be a part of this. I think he gets it.

Edes reporting its official as well "Job was offered to him in Japan, where he was on personal business, and he immediately accepted, according to source. No comment from BV." (GordonEdes twitter)

link on espn boston saying its official

Ravech knows Valentine.......there's his source. Bobby's the guy. Im actually pretty excited as crazy as this search has been. Bobby knows the game and he's extremely entertaining. This is gonna be fun.

Agree. Here's what is so confusing to me, and maybe Im beating a dead horse here (havent read through the whole thread). Why is it taking this long? They obviously like Valentine alot, and Lamont was basically just a filler interview it seemed. What in the world is there to think about this long? Makes you wonder if they're really sold on Bobby.

Yes. It CANT be Lamont. What a let down that would be. Valentine is a really smart baseball mind. He says some weird things, but if you listen to him, he knows the game inside and out. He'll also be hard on these guys and wont put up with alot of crap. And even if ya dont like him, he'll at least be fun to watch and listen to. Heck, he says he invented the wrap.