Come on guys, can't we all get on the same page, you're making me look ridiculous. See, here is the peril in how I operate this blog. I search for all my stories right before I go to bed each night, wake up, take one last frantic look around the internet, and then proceed to type my ass off for the next hour in order to get my day's posts ready. On occasion I end up look like an idiot by posting something like this, right as new information is about to emerge that I probably should have taken into account, something like, I don't know, this:
Jesus, Bobby, how about a little heads up for the struggling bloggers out there. Christ, not 30 mins after I wrote yesterday's post lauding you, I see you pull this shit. Ruined my day.
So what to make of it. I honestly don't know. Radio land in Boston was pretty torn yesterday. Some supporting Bobby V saying good for him for lighting a fire under his players asses, others (probably the slight majority) calling him a buffoon for not keeping this kinda stuff in the clubhouse. Here's the thing, this is what we knew we were getting with Bobby. His mouth is an open speaker hole pretty much at all times. So it's not shocking, but that doesn't necessarily make it right.
Here's where I fall on Bobby V...I think it's great that he's an open book, I really do. It's entertaining, it's going to give me plenty of material, and it's just nice to have insider insight for once...after years of Francona and The Hooded One babbling on about nothing it's been kind of interesting to see a man who's so willing to tell you anything and everything, states secrets included. That said, I'd rather he do it for another team.
As interesting as it is, if it effects the players off the field, then I have a hard time seeing how it's not detrimental to the team. Bobby V has to know better than this. That wasn't some throwaway comment, I don't think he's stupid enough to think that wouldn't get noticed, and I don't think he doesn't know Youk enough to know that would piss him off. Youk is one of the last guys who needs additional motivation, if anything Youk needs a calming influence, he's an absolute hothead. What Bobby's motivations behind saying this were, I don't know...I just find it hard to believe someone that's coached for so long and is so familiar with the media didn't know what he was doing or saying here...this wasn't verbal diahrrea, this was presumably calculated.
Was it calculated in order to get the team to rally around their teammates the way Pedroia did? Maybe. Was it calculated to alienate Youk, maybe Bobby V just doens't like him? Maybe. Did he really just misjudge the reaction Youk would have to this? Probably.
What'll be really interesting from here on out is to see how often this comes up again, or if Valentine learned his lesson. It's fine to be an open book, its fine to take the attention away from your team, but calling out specific players publicly isn't going to fly. You can't go to battle with 25 guys who hate your guts for gossiping publicly about their psyche and internal clubhouse stuff, you just can't. If he wants to make broad, carpet statements about the team, all for it. Calling out individual players through the media? Amateur hour.
