Who is the Right Manager for the Marlins?
Is it Bobby Valentine? The team made the answer to that question obvious when they did not hire him. Instead they decided to do something right and try out a man who has worked within the organization at the minor league level, Edwin Rodriguez.
A little background
The Florida Marlins had been one of the more talented teams in recent years, but have always managed to finish the season just short of the playoffs. Over the last three seasons with now former manager Fredi Gonzalez the Marlins were under .500, with a record of 276-279 in his 3+ seasons at the helm.
Gonzalez had not led a team as its manager prior to getting the job with Florida. He in fact got the job from the now New York Yankees manager, Joe Girardi. In his first full season he was asked to be the manager for the NL in the All-Star game after Willie Randolph had to back out. After the 2008 season he was named the Sporting News Manager of the Year.
However, instead of taking a step forward in 2009 it was more of the same as the team finished six games out with a record of 87-75 rather than 7 ½ out like in 2008. At the 70-game mark of the 2010 season with the Marlins in 3rd in the NL East division at 34-36, 7 ½ games behind the Atlanta Braves, the team decided it needed new leadership.
Minor league manager Edwin Rodriguez was promoted from the team's triple A affiliate in New Orleans as the interim manager along with Brandon Hyde as the acting bench coach and John Mallee as the team's new pitching coach.
All talk and a MLB first
Almost immediately after Gonzalez was let go by Loria the media latched onto his supposed replacement, a former manager and current analyst, Bobby Valentine.
Valentine, like most managers, had been a player too. In his ten year career he bounced around the league logging time with five different teams before retiring from playing baseball in 1979. His big league managerial career did not start till six years later when he was a base coach for the Braves and was tabbed by the Rangers to take over during the 1985 season.
He ended up staying with the Texas Rangers up until the 1992 season. His best finish was his first full season as manager in 1986 when he led the Rangers to a 2nd place finish in the AL West with an 87-75 record.
Valentine would find his way to Japan for his next managerial job as the leader of the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League in 1995. The Mets would bring him back to the U.S. as part of their minor league system in 1996; he would be promoted to manage the big league club towards the end of the season. Over the next six seasons he would lead the team to two 90+ win seasons that resulted in wild card berths. His most successful season was in 2000 when he took the Mets all the way to the World Series (which they lost in five games).
In 2002 he would be fired from the Mets. His next and last managerial spot was back in Japan. He was brought back to the United States in 2003 as an analyst for ESPN, a position he has held ever since.
His name did pop up rather quickly in regards to the opening with the Marlins, but as quick as it popped up it has been put back down. The team made it clear that they are willing to give Edwin Rodriguez a shot at the job at least for the remainder of the season. In doing so they accomplished a major league first by appointing the first Puerto Rican manager in league history.
However, the team did leave the door open at the end of the season by just hiring Rodriguez through the end of 2010. That could also be why Valentine has refused to comment except to say that he is not in the running for the position anymore. Only time will tell just who will be in charge of the young franchise.
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