Bobby Valentine Introduced as Athletic Director at Sacred Heart University

Feb. 26 is a day baseball fans in the northeast will remember. Earlier today, Bobby Valentine held his first press conference since being named Athletic Director at Sacred Heart University on Feb. 22, taking over for C. Donald Cook. Not only is this position a great fit for the small liberal arts univeristy in Fairfield, but it's also a great fit for the Stamford native.

Born and raised in Stamford, Valentine attended Rippowan High School, were he was a stand out athlete, being named all state in baseball and football. He was recruited by several of the top programs in the country, choosing warmer weather by attending the University Southern California. A top-5 draft pick in the 1968 MLB draft, he would call California home for many years, playing for the Los Angles Dodgers, the Angels of Anaheim, and the San Diego Padres as well as the Mets and the Mariners. Valentine finished his career with an average of .260/.315/.641.

Valentine however is more well known for his managerial career, collecting over 1,150 wins as a manager, including with the Texas Rangers and the Chiba Lotte Mariners of Japan. Although he has coached across the country, he has always called the Northeast home. During the 90s and early 2000s, he was the manager of the New York Mets leading them to a National League Pennant in 2000 and eventually loosing in the World Series to cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. In 2012, he was named manager of the Boston Red Sox. Managing for only one year and plagued with injuries and a surplus of top-notch talent being traded (including Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto), Valentine was fired after the worst season Boston had seen in 46 years.

Valentine has always kept his home state of Connecticut close to his heart. He owns a sports bar called Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery Café, located on Main St. in Stamford. In 2003, he became a baseball analyst for ESPN, headquartered in Bristol. He was also a commentator on the show Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball. Although he is most known for his baseball career, he also has had a political career. In Jan. 2011, Mayor Michael Pavia named him Director of Public Safety for the City of Stamford. Valentine later donated his salary to local charities.

Sacred Heart will be Valentine’s first chance to be a professional part of collegiate athletics. USA Today quoted Sacred Heart president Dr. John Petillo as saying, “We recognize that Bobby is an out-of-the-box selection, but we believe his entrepreneurial spirit, extensive sports background and love of athletics make him an ideal choice.  He is a native son with strong name recognition, and his selection demonstrates Sacred Heart’s commitment to its athletic program and to innovation and excellence throughout the university.” The New York Times said, “Valentine will be exactly what the small catholic school in the Northeast Conference needs, after becoming Division 1 in 1999.”

About the author: A native of Portland, Maine and resident of Bridgeport, Nicholas Phillips graduated from Sacred Heart University with a degree in Media Studies. Recently, Nicholas worked on the documentary "Closing the Gap," which focused on Connecticut's education gap. The documentary was shown on Connecticut Public Broadcast early in 2012.

Photo via Wikipedia.com.