slim
12-26-2005, 11:57 AM
My pick has got to be Bobby ("Magic") Valentine ........and .....the Chiba Lotte Marines professional baseball team.
Bobby Marine
Valentine charmed Japanese fans with his humble nature, patience and his attempts to fit in by speaking the local language.
http://japundit.com/images/bobbymarine.jpg
His efforts to blend in haven’t always been appreciated, though, and despite leading the Marines to their best finish in 20 years in 1995, Valentine was fired at the end of the season after he refused to bow to front-office pressure. When the team slipped back to oblivion, Lotte rehired Valentine and in just two years the former New York Mets skipper turned the club into a powerhouse.
The Marines’ hard-hitting style wasn’t appreciated by the opposition and in the middle of the 2005 season, Lotte was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Valentine was quick to squash the rumors, though, and the team soon refocused on the job at hand.
Posted by Japundit.com @ 3:00 pm
Slim
Bobby Marine
Valentine charmed Japanese fans with his humble nature, patience and his attempts to fit in by speaking the local language.
http://japundit.com/images/bobbymarine.jpg
His efforts to blend in haven’t always been appreciated, though, and despite leading the Marines to their best finish in 20 years in 1995, Valentine was fired at the end of the season after he refused to bow to front-office pressure. When the team slipped back to oblivion, Lotte rehired Valentine and in just two years the former New York Mets skipper turned the club into a powerhouse.
The Marines’ hard-hitting style wasn’t appreciated by the opposition and in the middle of the 2005 season, Lotte was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Valentine was quick to squash the rumors, though, and the team soon refocused on the job at hand.
Posted by Japundit.com @ 3:00 pm
Slim