Red Sox search down to Valentine, Lamont

redsox.com:  BOSTON -- Barring a major surprise, either Bobby Valentine or Gene Lamont will be named Terry Francona's successor at a press conference sometime within the next few days.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington plans on having his first manager in place before baseball's Winter Meetings, which start on Dec. 5 in Dallas.

After conducting second interviews with both Valentine and Lamont last week, things quieted down over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Jasper's thoughts: I think that Gene Lamont could have the key that the Red Sox ned to put their team back together. 

NEW YORK (AP)—Ryan Braun’s analysis of why he beat out Matt Kemp for the NL Most Valuable Player award came down to the math: 96-66 as opposed to 82-79.

“If you honestly assess both of our seasons individually I think his numbers are probably better than mine, and I just feel fortunate to have been on the better team,” Braun said. “It’s an individual award, but it’s a result of being part of a special team, a special organization.”
Braun was voted the NL MVP after helping the Milwaukee Brewers win their first division title in nearly 30 years. Kemp, meanwhile, played for a Los Angeles Dodgers club that spent much of the season far out of contention in the NL West.

I am very glad that the MLB chose a player like Braun to win the MVP instead of

Red Sox interested in Valentine as manager

BOSTON (AP)—Bobby Valentine would “be honored” to talk more with the Boston Red Sox about their vacant managerial position.

He said Friday that he already has spoken to general manager Ben Cherington and “I’m looking forward to having conversations, if that’s what they want to do.”

The former manager of the New York Mets and Texas Rangers said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that “I hope that there’d be a plan to give me an opportunity to meet” with the owners.

“He’s a great man and a great manager and he has a colorful and successful history, so his name inevitably comes up in this day and age,” Lucchino said.At the time, both said they hadn’t discussed the job with each other.

Valentine led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000 when they lost to the New York Yankees. He was fired by the Mets after the 2002 season. He managed in Japan from 2004-09, winning the Japan Series in 2005 with the Chiba Lotte Marines.

“I have a great job, and I wouldn’t insult my employers by saying I’m interested in another job,” Valentine said at the Hartford event two weeks ago. “I have two more years on my contract with ESPN and I’m very thankful for that.”

The Red Sox are seeking a replacement for Terry Francona, who left Sept. 30, two days after a loss in the regular-season finale left them out of the playoffs. They’ve interviewed Philadelphia bench coach Pete Mackanin, Milwaukee hitting coach Dale Sveum, Cleveland first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Toronto first-base coach Torey Lovullo and Detroit third-base coach Gene Lamont.

Sveum was hired as manager of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

The energetic, experienced Valentine would be a departure from that largely unproven group. Lamont is the only one of the five with major league managerial experience.

The addition of Valentine to the list of candidates increases the likelihood that the Red Sox won’t announce a manager before Thanksgiving.

On Thursday, Cherington and his assistant, Mike Hazen, left the general managers’ meetings in Milwaukee for the Dominican Republic, where they planned to scout players.

The Red Sox didn’t rush to hire a manager after Grady Little was fired following the 2003 season. Francona was hired on Dec. 4 and, in his first season, led the Red Sox to their first World Series championship in 86 years.