THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 16, 1995 TAG: 9511160423
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
While being announced Wednesday as the Norfolk Tides manager for the next two seasons, Bobby Valentine announced a major lesson he had learned in his summer as a manager in Japan: Practice really does make perfect.
``Japanese baseball players take practice to another level,'' said Valentine, the Tides' manager in 1994, noting that the usual pregame batting practice in Japan lasts more than four hours.
``More practice was in fact better. I don't think I'll get anybody to practice four hours. But on those days when I ask myself should we do more, I think the answer will be yes more often than not.''
Valentine said converting U.S. players unaccustomed to long pregame workouts to his mindset might be less of a problem than people would expect.
``I think it's more of a scheduling dilemma here than any kind of unwillingness to play,'' Valentine said. ``I've always found that players want to improve.''
The '94 Tides went 67-75 before Valentine left to lead the Chiba Lotte Marines to a 69-58-3 mark, their best season ever.
Differences in methodology between Valentine and the Marines' front office, however, led to Valentine's dismissal with one year, plus an option year, left on his contract.
Speculation has arisen again, as it did in '94, that Valentine has been positioned to succeed Dallas Green as the New York Mets manager. But Valentine strongly denied any such deal has ever been discussed.
``That has never been addressed,'' said Valentine, who managed the Texas Rangers from 1985 to 1992. ``There are no promises or contractural agreements, because the subject has never been talked about.''
Valentine did, though, express a desire to manage again in the major leagues and a disinterest in coaching at that level.
He had already agreed to a job as a minor league instructor and Class A manager with the Mets before Toby Harrah vacated the Tides managerial post for a coaching job with the Cleveland Indians.
Valentine, said Mets minor league director Steve Phillips, was ``the obvious guy'' to replace Harrah.
``It's an honor to be asked back,'' Valentine said. ``When I left, a lot of people thought it was a bad move. It's great to be back, that's all I know.'' by CNB