Bobby V for victory?
Ex-Mets, Red Sox skipper Valentine, to cheers of former players, seeking mayor’s office in Stamford
NEW YORK — The neophyte candidate for mayor of Stamford, Conn., already boasts some majorleague endorsements.
No shocker there: Former Mets skipper Bobby Valentine’s first foray into politics at age 70 was greeted with support (and a few wisecracks) by his former Flushing players.
“I was like ‘Whoa!’ when I heard the news,” said a chuckling Turk Wendell, the famously eccentric pitcher who spent five seasons in the Mets bullpen and pitched at Quinnipiac University in Hamden in college.
“But he always liked the public eye, the spotlight. I think it’s right up his alley. The next thing you know, he’ll be running for the Oval Office.
“He’s just getting his foot in the door.”
Wendell’s backing of Bobby V was echoed by former teammates John Franco and Todd Zeile, who agreed their old manager was a perfect choice to manage the city where he was born on May 30, 1950, and never left.
“I’ll start by saying I’m not surprised,” said Zeile, who recalled Valentine’s herculean relief efforts in the Shea Stadium parking lot after the 9/11 attacks. “I always knew he was considered the surrogate mayor up there. And I guess, in some ways, a big league manager is sort of a political job.”
Valentine remains a hometown hero in Stamford, where he reigned as a three-sport star at the local high school and opened an eponymous local restaurant nearly four decades ago. Valentine announced his City Hall campaign in the city of 129,000 earlier this month, seeking to unseat two-term incumbent David Martin.
True to form, Bobby V will run as an independent this fall and expects to finish on top. He believes his 16 years as a major league manager, including seven with the Mets, give him an edge that will lead to political triumph come election day.
“Absolutely, managing an organization of 25 guys on a baseball team has to translate into the valuable skill sets for a job like mayor,”
Valentine told the Daily News. “Stamford is where I was born, where I went to school, where I started my first business. The people were always there for me, and I want to be there for them at this important time.”
Bobby V managed the Mets from 1996-2002, leading the Amazin’s to a 2000 Subway Series where they came up short against the Yankees. But his resume also includes a year-long stint as Stamford’s public safety director until he left for an ill-fated 2012 stint as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
And Valentine brings some international panache as well: He served twice as manager of Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines, winning a title in 2005, and The Japan Times ran a piece on his entry into the mayor’s race.
Legendary Mets reliever Franco, like bullpen buddy Wendell, agreed his old manager’s headfirst dive into politics was vintage Valentine.
“I can say this: He’s somebody you want in a foxhole with you,” said fan favorite Franco, a lifetime New Yorker. “He’s a great leader. on and off the field. I can see him doing the same thing as mayor.
“If I lived in his town, I’d vote for him. Maybe I’ll move up there for a couple of weeks so I can,” he joked.
Valentine quipped about soliciting campaign contributions from his players: “None of them want to donate.” But Zeile offered a suggestion for his old manager — tapping a former Hall of Fame teammate who signed a $91 million deal with the Mets back in 1998.
“He needs to go to his good buddy Mike Piazza,” cracked Zeile.