BOSTON — Happy Valentine's Day, Red Sox fans.
The "Valentine" I'm referring to, of course, is the one now based out of Yawkey Way in The Fens — Bobby Valentine. And he is only hours away from finally putting on that Red Sox uniform in the balmy Florida sun.
It's about time.
Since the 61-year-old Stamford, Conn., native was hired — he accepted the job while he was on a paid excursion in Japan — and introduced to the media on Dec. 1, almost every day has been Valentine's Day in Boston.
If he hasn't been waving with Wally The Green Monster, or answering ultra-serious Town Meeting questions from fans, or riding in the cockpit of a new JetBlue plane holding a Red Sox cap in the window, he's been kissing babies in Kenmore Square.
"I haven't kissed any babies," Valentine snapped, while at Logan Airport on Friday, not too enamored with the attempt at humor.
The point is, before a pitch has been tossed or we've heard the first thwack! from a catcher's mitt in a Fort Myers bullpen session, Valentine has earned his Red Sox stripes.
His second-to-last order of PR was riding in the plane on the tarmac (his last appearance will be at the statue unveiling for Luis Tiant), before the temperatures hit 80 degrees on the western coast of Florida.
It was a "10" on the corny scale. But Valentine has been a trouper.
"Bobby knows what the job entails," said Red Sox president Larry Lucchino. "I am impressed with a lot of things about Bobby. He emits a lot of confidence and energy. He also has done a great job working with all parts of the organization."
Indirectly, that was a jab at the guy Valentine replaced, Terry Francona. Near the end of Francona's tenure, he apparently wasn't so keen on public relations, helping the business side with his team in a funk like no other Red Sox team before it.
Baseball is very, very, very important around here and after last September's Titanic-like collapse, the public relations department went back to work after half-dozen years on vacation. And their star has been Valentine.
It hasn't all been PR. He has been doing some trouble-shooting on the baseball operations side, too, travelling to the Dominican Republic to meet David Ortiz, while calling pitcher Josh Beckett and left-fielder Carl Crawford, all of whom have had some off-season issues.
"I'm ready to go down to Fort Myers," said a weary Valentine. "I'm already there, really. A few of our players are already there, doing some work. I look forward to it. I can't wait."
Valentine's tenure could be an intriguing one. There are two possible paths — one and done, or Hall of Fame-like.
He signed a two-year deal, which is meaningless, basically agreeing to the "let's see what we have here" before we commit to the real future.
Valentine is an interesting character beyond his intriguing baseball life, which includes being drafted fifth overall by the Dodgers, a 10-year major league playing career, followed by a 22 years as a manager in the majors and Japan.
He is a renowned ballroom dancer, philanthropist, gourmet chef, restaurateur, director of Public Health in his native Stamford, and inventor (he says he invented the roll-up sandwich at one of his eateries).
"Sure, I do have a life outside of baseball," said Valentine.
But — and there's a big but — baseball is what's put the extra bounce in his step.
"Every day I wake up it's a special day here in Boston," said Valentine. "I knew Boston was a great baseball town, but now I really know that it is. I feel fortunate to be involved in a major league town such as Boston. It is second to none."
Valentine said he doesn't have one funny story about the passion he has experienced on his many meetings with the public since being hired.
"It's the group. It's everything," said the former Rangers and Mets manager. "It's the collective passion of everyone. I've seen passion before, but not like this."
Valentine "ain't" seen nothing yet. Wait until he sees every single seat filled in every single exhibition game. Wait until he sees the media in Fort Myers, which will be 10 times the amount he saw during a pennant race when he managed the Texas Rangers. Wait until he sees Fenway Park ... with a Red Sox uniform on.
"I'm ready to move on to a new phase," admitted Valentine, while being bombarded for picture and autograph requests by JetBlue employees. "And that's getting down there."
Let's allow Valentine, finally, to do the job he was hired to do. And that's manage the Red Sox.
