Former Rangers Skipper Bobby Valentine Running for Mayor
Former Texas Rangers manager Bobby Valentine has announced that he will run for mayor of his hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, later this year.
"It's official! I'm seeking your support to be the next Mayor of Stamford, CT,” Valentine posted to Twitter on Friday.
Valentine is running as an independent in a race that already features two Democratic candidates: incumbent David Martin and Connecticut state representative Caroline Simmons.
This would not be the first time Valentine has worked for the city, if elected. Valentine served as Stamford’s health and public safety director in 2011, before taking the managerial job with the Boston Red Sox.
Valentine’s managerial career began with the Texas Rangers, as he was hired by general manager Tom Grieve on May 16, 1985, to replace Doug Rader. At the time, Valentine was a coach for the New York Mets.
Valentine became the longest-tenured manager to that point in Rangers history, guiding the team until he was fired halfway through the 1992 season. While he didn’t lead the Rangers to a division title, he presided over the Rangers’ first run of consistent success. He had four winning seasons, including three straight from 1989-91, and was fired with a 45-41 record in 1992.
Valentine’s career record in Texas was 581-605.
He went on to manage the New York Mets from 1996-2002, winning 536 games and ultimately leading them to the 2000 World Series championship. He finished his managerial career with Boston in 2012, going just 69-93.
He spent several years managing in Japan, where he led the Chiba Lotte Marines to a Japan Series championship in 2005.
As a player, Valentine was drafted fifth overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968, reached the Majors in 1969 and hit .260 in 10 MLB seasons with five different teams.
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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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