Valentine In Geelong To Spread A Whole Lotte Love For The Game

The Sunday Age

Sunday February 11, 2007

MARTIN BOULTON

BOBBY Valentine has spent enough time in this country to know baseball sits some way behind football, soccer and netball as the most popular sports played by Australian children.

Still, that didn't stop the former New York Mets manager donating his time in Geelong yesterday to promote the game he's passionately dedicated himself to for nearly 40 years.

Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres, the Mets and the Seattle Mariners before taking over as manager of the Texas Rangers in 1985.

His seven years as Mets manager included taking the team to the 2000 World Series against cross-town rivals and two-time defending champions, the New York Yankees.

As manager of the Japanese Pacific League team Chiba Lotte Marines , Valentine is visiting Australia for the second time ahead of the team's season, starting next month.

Next week, the Japanese team plays a two-game friendship series against the Australian national team in Geelong and Valentine is expecting some healthy competition.

"The competition should be good, we're a group that needs to play some games leading into next month and they (Australian players) will want to make a show of it ahead of the Olympics," he said. "Sure, they'll be friendly matches, but it's a new season for us and we're trying to come together as a team.

"We want to establish ourselves as a perennial contender and if we're not winning it (the Japan Series, which his team won in 2005), then we want to be in the hunt.

"We have a very good talent base, a good fan base and good ownership, so the stars are aligned for good things to happen."

Valentine was happy to pass on a few tips to young baseball players at the Geelong Baseball Centre yesterday.

"I can see baseball's not going to be your No. 1 sport, or even the No. 2 or 3 sport for a long time, but I see it is growing," he said.

"A lot of these young kids told me they just want to play, they just want to be on a team and that's good for the game of baseball."

With a gruelling 142 games of baseball ahead of them, Valentine said the opportunity to visit Geelong and train in a warm climate was a valuable part of the team's preparation.

"The weather has been very co-operative, the people are so friendly and the facilities are excellent . . ." he said.

Game one of the two-game series between Australia and the Chiba Lotte Marines will be held in Geelong at 7.30pm next Tuesday. Game two, also in Geelong, is on Wednesday at 3pm.

© 2007 The Sunday Age

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