Baseball Tonight

[Ando]

Bitch, moan, complain, praise, laud, crack - give your run down of the day's/night's events in and around The Major Leagues.

[Ando]

Caught most of the Mets/Nats matchup earlier today. Mets needed a big win.

[Ando]

How'd I miss this?

[Phineas T Freakears]

John Henry

Okay, you guys requested this meeting to vent some frustrations with Bobby Valentine. Let's hear it.

• Larry Lucchino

  First, just one thing we should mention — as men of means, we enjoy fine wines. And it just so happens that me and John had several bottles of a '61 Bordeaux the day we decided to hire Bobby. So, yeah. Our apologies if we messed up. Lesson learned. We won't make future hires while drunk.

• John Henry

  Right. I'm with him on that. Now let's hear what you have to say. Adrian, you texted me to schedule this. You start.

• Adrian Gonzalez

  Okay. Yeah, I mainly hate everything about Bobby – his personality, his style of managing, and especially his stupid face. I don't know a better way to put it.

• Larry Lucchino

  Got it. I can't really disagree with anything you said. Let's keep it going around the table. Jon?

• Jon Lester

  I hate Bobby because he kept me in too long when I didn't have my best stuff and I got lit up.

• John Henry

  Are you talking about that April game when you gave up seven runs in two innings?

• Jon Lester

  No, not that one.

• Larry Lucchino

  The May game when you gave up seven runs in four innnings?

• Jon Lester

  No, not that one either.

• John Henry

  The game last week when you gave up six runs in four innings?

• Jon Lester

  No, no. The one a few days ago when I gave up 11 runs in four innings.

• John Henry

  Oh, okay. Just wanted to make sure we have all the specifics.

• Jon Lester

  I mean, ideally I'd have him not pitch me more than one inning per start because everything usually goes to hell after that for me this season. But the 11-run game I had was the worst example of Bobby being bad.

• Larry Lucchino

  Got it. David?

• David Ortiz

  I think our clubhouse is toxic. I'm just tired of dealing with the drama. It's not fun to play here anymore. There's too much pressure. I'm tired of it all.

• John Henry

  I appreciate your candor. I would suggest, however, that you not complain too much publicly. I'm not sure the fans would like hearing a guy who gets paid $14 million to do nothing but swing a bat a few times a day complain about how hard he has it.

• David Ortiz

  Okay, but what if I explain how hard it is on me to produce without the benefit of steroids?

• John Henry

  No. I wouldn't advise that.

• David Ortiz

  It's still the truth.

• Josh Beckett

  Can I finally talk? I've got a tee time in 45 minutes.

• Larry Lucchino

  Sure thing, Josh.

• Josh Beckett

  Who calls a team meeting and doesn't get it catered? I'm starving.

• Larry Lucchino

  Is that all you have?

• Josh Beckett

  Yes.

• John Henry

  Okay. Dustin?

• Dustin Pedroia

  I have two points. One, I think Bobby Valentine is a terrible manager and should be fired immediately. My second point, and this is the most important one, so please everyone listen up: I was not at this meeting, okay? If anyone plans to leak that we had this meeting, please don't say that I was here. I have a reputation of being a scrappy, hard-nosed guy who just plays the game. Me being involved in going behind my manager's back to ownership wouldn't look good. So again: I wasn't here. And also that stuff about Bobby being terrible.

• Larry Lucchino

  You weren't here. Fine. Now our last attendee. I'm sorry, I don't recognize you.

• Vobby Balentine

  I am Vobby Balentine. I'm a backup.

• Adrian Gonzalez

  You look like Bobby Valentine in sunglasses and a fake mustache.

• Vobby Balentine

  Interesting.

• John Henry

  Well, what are your thoughts on Bobby?

• Vobby Balentine

  I, Vobby Balentine, think Bobby Valentine is the best manager ever and should keep his job forever.

• John Henry

  That's all I need to hear. I think backup players are the heart and soul of a baseball team. Like little Pedroias, but not backstabbers.

• Larry Lucchino

  I agree with you. Bobby is keeping his job.

• Adrian Gonzalez

  You guys are drunk again, aren't you?

• John Henry

  A little bit.

• Larry Lucchino

  There are some great wine bars in New York. Guilty as charged.

• Josh Beckett

  Nice, brahs. I'm drunk, too. It's nice to work for bosses I can respect.

• Dustin Pedroia

  Is this meeting over that I wasn't at?

• John Henry

  Yes. Adjourned.

• Vobby Balentine

  Before you all leave, none of you guys are starting today … is what Bobby Valentine told me to tell you.

[Scone]

Vobby Balentine in 1999

[Scone]

[Ando]

Funny. I don't follow them anymore but I hate to seem them cave. Looks like they may be back on an upswing.

[Ando]

Wow. Nats could clinch the NLEast with a couple of wins - and as predicted - the division winner is being claimed fairly late this year. Going to any playoff games, Scone? I'm tempted to drive down as I've yet to see the stadium.

[Scone]

Its really amazing to have two playoff teams (Balt, DC) less than an hour away.  My only issue is

I do have a few weeks of upcoming travel.  I love this time of year and I am hoping to take the family to see the playoffs!

 

[Ando]

Be cool if you could take 'em to see The World Series. An Orioles/Nats matchup is not the most probable but certainly intriguing.

[Ando]

This afternoon's Game 6 (4:30, Fox) is looking like The Game to watch this post-season. The Giants will not go peacefully. I'd like to see them come back and beat St. Louis in a game 7 match. But it all depends on this afternoon's performance. Looking forward to it.

[macroman]

Congratulations to the SF Giants!

[Ando]

Not much - David Wright signed on for 8 more years with my pitiful Metropolitans (Cy Young winning RA Dickey excepted). But where else would he have gone and maintained the same sort of leverage like he has in New York?