The Rise and Fall of Bobby Valentine

My first experience of Japanese baseball occurred in 1998 when I went to a day game with a few friends to see the hometown Chiba Lotte Marines in action against the defending league champion Seibu Lions. Despite enjoying the afternoon, I can hardly say that I was sold on Pro Yakyu. The main draw was seeing an (apparently) past his prime Julio Franco on his second go round with the team, and the overall calibre of play seemed closer to Triple A than Major League Baseball. Having checked this event off of my Japan "to do list," I never gave the team another thought.

When Ichiro fever hit North America in 2001, I was forced to re-examine my opinion of Japanese baseball. Although the Ichiro phenomenon was not yet enough to end the resentment I felt towards MLB for cancelling the season in 1994--the year when my beloved Montreal Expos had their best chance ever of winning a pennant--it was enough to open the door to the possibility of watching baseball again. By good fortune, I was able to spend two consecutive summers in Japan (2002 & 2003), which meant a steady diet of Seattle Mariners in the morning and Chiba Marines in the evening.

By the time Bobby Valentine took over the team again in 2004, the Marines were my home-away-from-hometown team, perennial losers who looked like they might finally be ready to win. In 2005, we were rewarded with an Interleague title, a Japan Series championship, and an Asia Series championship. Despite a promising start to 2006, the Marines never reached the lofty of heights of 2005 again. One of the highlights of that summer was seeing a night game there with an old friend, and witnessing the rabid fans in the outfield bleachers exhorting the team to victory all night long. The magic ended at the start of the 2009 season when team management announced that Valentine's contract would not be renewed at season's end, essentially making him a lame duck manager for the rest of the year. Unsurprisingly, the 2009 campaign proved to be a total write-off.

How was it that the most successful manager in team history, a man who not only rejuvenated the product on the field but off, could find himself in such a position so soon after leading his team out of the Pacific League cellar? I do not have the answer, but baseball writer Robert Whiting does. Check out his in depth four part series that ran in The Japan Times over the last month. Neither side comes out blameless, but ultimately it is "Team 26," the passionate fans of the team, that lost out as the result of an internal power struggle. How many years will we have to wait to see the team become competitive again?

Part 1: Clandestine campaign led to Valentine's demise

This part begins with a look at Valentine at his peak, then outlines when the cracks in his support began to appear.

Part 2: Valentine's philosophy brought Marines glory, money

An overarching look at Valentine's career, showcasing his contributions to the club.

Part 3: Resentment of Valentine's power factored in downfall

Part 3 offers a counterbalance to Part 2, giving voice to Valentine's critics drawn from the ranks of players, upper management, and the media.

Part 4: History, tradition helped to undermine Valentine

After a final look at the loyal relationship between team ownership and upper management, Whiting offers his final analysis, assigning credit and blame where it is due.

Thanks to Mr. Whiting for doing such an excellent job on this series and to the Times for running it. If he ever happens to stumble upon this blog post, I'd just like to say that your efforts were rewarded. I picked up You Gotta Have Wa today and look forward to reading it and posting a review here in the coming weeks.