Showing posts with label chiba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chiba. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM BOBBY VALENTINE

This official announcement from Bobby Valentine was posted on his blog:


http://www.bobbysway.jp/?p=493

日本語で読まれたい方は、ブログタイトル横の「日本語」をクリック!
(July 26th)

To the Chiba Lotte Marines Family,

From the moment that I agreed to come back to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines 6 years ago, I have always had two major priorities: to do what is best for the Shigemitsu family, who invited me back with enthusiasm, and to do what is best for the Chiba Lotte Marines. For the first 5 years, thanks to the wonderful support of our fans, players, coaches and support staff it was easy to be passionate and committed to my task as manager.

But this season many people around me and I were presented with a very challenging and confusing situation. Lask week Acting Owner Shigemitsu came to my office and I had a chance to speak privately with him one-on-one for the first time since last July. I thanked him for visiting me and apologized for the poor performance of the team. We reassured each other that our friendship remained the same and I felt grateful for it. And most importantly, I came to feel that for me to leave the team at the end of the 2009 season is best for the Shigemitsu family and for the Chiba Lotte Marines, and so I wanted to make this announcement about the decision as soon as possible.

There might not be words to sufficiently express my love and appreciation for the greatest fans in baseball. You moved me to tears when I was met at the airport in January. You amazed me and the entire baseball world with your petition drive. You inspire me and the players every single game with your banners, songs and your relentless passion and commitment to this team. All of it will be part of me forever. I deeply respect the traditions and culture of Japan. And, especially, my love for Japanese baseball will never fade.

Please view this announcement as my determination to make Chiba Lotte Marines baseball fun once again, for our fans and for each member of the team. I have always felt victory was shallow--and true victory was impossible--if the attempt to gain it was not fun. This year has not been fun for anyone who truly loves the Chiba Lotte Marines, so I will make a renewed effort to make this 2009 season the most fun that it can possibly be, and one that we will all remember and cherish for our lifetimes. To help me with this effort and to inspire the team, I would like you, the greatest fans in the world, to cheer for us more than ever.

Let’s play fun baseball again,

Bobby Valentine



Bobby
Commit to your passions - Passionately pursue your commitments




Monday, July 27, 2009

IT'S OFFICIAL :( Bobby Valentine Decides Not to Return to Chiba Lotte

As reported already by several Japanese sports newspapers, Bobby Valentine has officially indicated his intention not to return in 2010 to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team.

At 16:50 on Sunday, just after practice, Valentine distributed a one-page document to all the reporters. Addressed to "the Chiba Lotte Marine Family", he indicated that after discussing the matter in mid-July with Acting Owner Akio Shigemitsu, he decided that it would be best for sake of both the Shigemitsu family and for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

A link to one of the articles by the Nikkan Sports:

http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/p-bb-tp0-20090727-523689.html

ボビー退団認めた「ロッテにとって最善」

7月17日、連敗を7で止め、笑顔を見せるバレンタイン監督
7月17日、連敗を7で止め、笑顔を見せるバレンタイン監督

 ロッテのボビー・バレンタイン監督(58)が26日、今季限りでの退団を正式に決断した。千葉市内の室内練習場で練習後、異例の声明文を発表し、 決意を表明をした。自ら用意したA4紙1枚の声明の中で「今シーズン限りで私がロッテを去ることが重光家、そして千葉ロッテマリーンズにとって最善の道で あると実感し、決断した。ロッテの野球をもう1度、楽しいものにするための決意と考えてください」と、初めて退団を受け入れ、後半戦へ向けて巻き返しを 誓った。

 バレンタイン監督がついに白旗を揚げた。これまで来季以降の契約延長も見据え、退任について明言を避けてきたが、後半戦開幕を前に自らケジメをつ けた。「先週、重光オーナー代行と昨年7月以降初めて2人だけでお話しをすることができた。私が去ることが重光家、そして千葉ロッテマリーンズにとって最 善の道であると実感し、決断した」と、直接会談で退任を決意したことを明かした。

 04年からロッテで2度目の指揮を執る同監督は、05年に31年ぶり日本一に導くなど手腕を発揮し、人気、実力両面でチームに貢献した。だが一方 で、4億5000万円(推定)の高額年俸と全権を掌握した独断的な手法でのトラブルも生じ始め、昨年12月に4年契約が終了する今季限りでの退任が通達さ れた。

 異例のシーズン前の通達で、フロントとの確執が表面化し、一時はファンも巻き込むお家騒動が勃発(ぼっぱつ)。その影響もあってか、選手のモチベーションも低下、前半戦を終えて5位と不振が続いている。

 このタイミングで発表したことについて、石川晃副代表は「後半戦はチーム一丸となって戦いたいという監督の気持ちの表れでしょう。フロントとして は最後まで監督をバックアップする気持ちに変わりはない」と受け止めた。西村ヘッドコーチは「ミーティングで初めて聞いた。残り59試合。我々コーチ陣も 結果を出していかないといけないし、引き締めてやるしかない」と話した。

 前半戦最終戦となった22日の日本ハム戦(札幌ドーム)では、「選手たちの足を引っ張る出来事もあり、楽しんでプレーさせることができなかった」 と反省の弁を述べていた。この日の決意表明で周囲の雑音をシャットアウト。「千葉ロッテの野球をもう1度ファンの皆さん、チームの皆にとって楽しいものに するための決意だ」とも話した。

 監督の心意気に、選手も気合を入れ直した。渡辺俊は「ボビーのために楽しんでプレーします。選手だったら監督の気持ちを感じるでしょう」。バレン タイン監督に才能を見いだされ、05年日本一に貢献し西岡も神妙な面持ちで口を開いた。「僕や今江さんは監督に育ててもらい、感謝すべきことはたくさんあ る。これからもしっかり自分のプレーに集中したい」と話した。

 [2009年7月27日9時3分 紙面から]

Sunday, July 26, 2009

BOBBY VALENTINE SUCCESSOR FOR 2010 ANNOUNCED

Well, it sounds more and more like Bobby Valentine won't be returning to manage the Chiba Lotte Marines for 2010 - despite the massive efforts of his fans to gather over 100,000 signatures protesting the decision by the Lotte ownership.

According to Kyodo News, the front office announced that the current head coach, Norifumi Nishimura, has been selected to succeed Valentine next year as the new field manager.

It appears that Club President Ryuzo Setoyama's campaign to sabotage both Valentine and the team at large have worked. Next year, there is no doubt that the Marines will sink back and stay at the bottom of the league as they did before Bobby turned them around.

Baseball: Lotte tapping Nishimura as Valentine's successor
Jul 25 10:31 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, July 25 (AP) - (Kyodo)—
The Lotte Marines are in the final stages of tapping head coach Norifumi Nishimura as manager Bobby Valentine's successor for next season, club officials told Kyodo News on Saturday. The 49-year-old Nishimura's promotion is expected to be announced after the 2009 season upon the approval of owner Takeo Shigemitsu. Lotte has already decided not to offer Valentine a contract extension after his current four-year contract expires at the end of the season. The team appears to have stopped short of bringing someone from outside of the team since Japanese baseball has seen successes from those who have coaching experience within respective organizations. Last year, Hisanobu Watanabe guided the Seibu Lions to the Japan Series title as a rookie manager after being promoted from the farm team manager. Nishimura spent his entire 16-year playing career with Lotte through He led the Pacific League with a .338 batting average in 1990. "As I said before, the new manager will be announced after the season," club president Ryuzo Setoyama said. "All I can say is that we the front office will support the team's attempt to reach the postseason." Lotte is last in the six-team standings with a 33-49 record.





.....NIPPON SERIES 2005





BOBBY VALENTINE BOUND FOR WASHINGTON, DC?!


Well, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post seems to think so ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302908.html

Acta and Nationals Will Likely Have Options Beyond This Year

By Dave Sheinin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

ST. LOUIS, July 13 -- Come October, the Washington Nationals will be searching for a permanent manager and Manny Acta will be searching for a job, and while there is no chance of a match between the two -- not after the Nationals fired Acta as their manager late Sunday night -- both could wind up having their choice of several enticing possibilities within their respective searches.

Several baseball executives surveyed Monday in St. Louis, where the sport will hold its All-Star Game on Tuesday, predicted Acta, 40, would get a chance to manage in the big leagues again -- though perhaps not right away.

"My guess is that he'll have to go through a coaching job first, but he won't have any trouble [achieving] that," said one National League executive. "He may not be the rising star he was [when the Nationals hired him in November 2006], but I think people will look at that mess in Washington and see him as deserving another chance to manage."

Acta has extensive ties with two other organizations -- the Houston Astros, with whom he played for six seasons as a minor leaguer and coached and managed in the minors for nine more, and the New York Mets, for whom he served as third base coach from 2005-06 -- although he is unlikely to find a new job before the end of this season, even if he wanted one. The Nationals still owe him the balance of his $600,000 salary for 2009.

The Nationals, meantime, named bench coach Jim Riggleman their interim manager in the wake of Acta's firing, and indicated a willingness to consider him for the permanent hire. However, interim managers are rarely retained -- as Riggleman found out last year, when he got the interim job in Seattle following John McLaren's midseason firing, only to be passed over for the permanent job.

Speculation in Washington is certain to focus on Bobby Valentine, the former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager now in the final year of his contract for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines, who appear unlikely to bring him back. Valentine has publicly acknowledged a desire to return to the United States, although it is unclear if the Nationals would be willing to pay Valentine what he is making in Japan (about $4 million), or if not, whether he would agree to a steep pay cut.

Valentine, 59, declined comment in response to an e-mail message seeking to gauge his interest in the Nationals' job.

Nationals President Stan Kasten is known to maintain ties to several potential candidates from his days with the Atlanta Braves, including Ned Yost, formerly the Braves' third base coach and most recently the Milwaukee Brewers' manager; Jim Fregosi, who managed four different teams between 1978 and 2000 and is currently the Braves' advance scout; and Terry Pendleton, the current Braves hitting coach, whom the Nationals interviewed for their manager's job in 2006.

Mike Rizzo, the Nationals' acting general manager, also has ties to potential candidates from his days as the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm director, perhaps most significantly to former Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, who was fired this season and last week was hired as a special assistant by the San Diego Padres.

One executive who knows both men said Rizzo and Melvin remain close, and that Melvin would "jump" at the chance to manage again.