THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180502 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Former Norfolk Tides manager Bobby Valentine learned to speak the language, turned a perennial losing club into a winner and captured the people's fascination this season as the first ex-American major league skipper to manage in Japan.
Valentine could not, however, overcome a communication barrier with his general manager, Tatsuro Hirooka. That breach resulted in Valentine's firing Tuesday after one year with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
The move marks the end, at least for now, of Valentine's attempt to ``Americanize'' the Japanese game, which he was asked to do by the Marines when they hired him last October.
``I loved it. It might've been my most rewarding season ever,'' Valentine, the Tides manager in 1994, said Tuesday from his home in Arlington, Texas. ``I'll probably go back some day.
``The ownership just three days ago said I have to come back. But the GM said, `If he does, I don't.' They won't stick with him more than one more year, though. If this team doesn't take the next step next year, I might be offered the job back.''
The Marines finished second in the Pacific League with a 69-58 rec-ord. It was their best finish since 1985 and their best record since the early '70s.
Valentine said he and Hirooka, a legendary Japanese baseball figure who recruited Valentine in '94 and gave him a three-year contract reportedly worth from $2 million to $3 million, clashed all season.
Not only did Hirooka pass notes to the dugout during games questioning or suggesting strategy, Valentine said, he differed with Valentine's ideas on how hard to push his players.
Team spokesman Kazuhito Maruyama said Valentine did not work the team - which included U.S. players Julio Franco, Eric Hillman and Pete Incavaglia - hard enough or as long on fundamentals in practice, fearing they would be exhausted for games.
``Every home game, we took batting practice for four hours and 20 minutes,'' said Valentine, who managed the Texas Rangers from 1985 to 1992. ``Road games was half that. And I didn't mind it. They needed the work.
``But there were times when after the 60th ground ball, I'd kind of shut down the shortstop because his back was bothering him. (Hirooka) didn't understand that.
``It really wasn't like it was anything major. The only major thing was he wasn't getting any of the credit and he didn't like that.''
Valentine said that as news of his possible ouster surfaced late in the season, fans collected 20,000 signatures on a petition asking for Valentine to be retained and Hirooka fired.
``It was a grass-roots movement that's unheard of in Japan,'' Valentine said. ``That isn't the Japanese style. It was really amazing.''
Valentine, 45, said he expected to work in American baseball next season, though possibly not in uniform. He previously has served as a major league scout.
``This was a great, great experience,'' Valentine said. ``And I really don't think it's over, if in fact I don't want it to be over. I think there will be something else happening in Japan, if I want to.'' MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
A year ago, Bobby Valentine quit the Norfolk Tides to go to Japan.
by CNB