Bobby Valentine Bans Beer in Boston Red Sox Clubhouse
Boston’s new no-nonsense manager has begun laying down the law. We have already heard that Bobby Valentine intends to nix the down time this spring training. Now Deadspin reports that he is banning beer in the clubhouse, taking dead aim at the behavior that riled up so many fans and writers at the end of last season. In addition to banning beer in the clubhouse, Valentine is prohibiting drinking on team flights at the end of road trips.
The news is hardly surprising given the overwhelming amount of criticism that Red Sox players faced after dropping 20 or their last 27 games last season and missing out on the playoffs amid rumors about poor conditioning, deteriorating team moral and starting pitchers drinking and eating fried chicken during games on their off days. When the ownership choose Valentine to succeed the protective and soft-spoken Terry Francona, it was clear that they wanted a more vocal leader who was less tolerant of such behavior.
CBS Sports Jon Heyman notes that Valentine had also banned beer in the clubhouse when he was manager of the New York Mets, so this is not only an edict directed towards amending last season’s indiscretions, but also a part of his managerial style. Still, the announcement is good public relations for the Red Sox new staff. In the wake of last season, this is just what the media and the fan base wants to hear from Valentine and his team and as shrewd as he is in handling the press, I am sure that he realizes that.
The announcement is likely not as popular with the players, but it would be foolish for any of them to complain. David Ortiz applauded the decision saying “We’re not here to drink. We’re here to play baseball.” Playing baseball, and playing winning baseball needs to be this team’s sole focus and Bobby Valentine seems to understand that.
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