Red Sox owner proclaims support for Valentine
Boston Red Sox owner John Henry sent an email to Red Sox beat reporters on Monday, proclaiming his support for manager Bobby Valentine.
The Boston Globe printed the email in its entirety, and in it Henry stated the club is not making a managerial change.
In part of the email printed by the Globe, Henry said, "To blame Bobby Valentine for the Red Sox being .500 at this point in the season is simply wrong. A lot has been written about injuries to key players this year. The impact of that on the Sox this year should not be discounted.
"In baseball, managers often get too much credit and too much blame for what happens on the field. That seems to be a constant. There is often the thought in organizations, 'This isn't working so the manager needs to go.' But an organization is much more than the field manager. We all share responsibility for the success and failure of the Boston Red Sox. We are not making a change in manager.
"There has been no lack of effort from our players and we have had a number of them playing hurt. I watch every game and the effort our players put in night after night is very clear to see.
"In regard to the notion that we have somehow not empowered Bobby, you should ask him directly about that. We have been nothing but supportive of him inside and outside of the clubhouse. Stories that imply otherwise are due to speculation that is not warranted at all by the facts."
