For the New York Mets, today is a special day, as a former team manager is celebrating a birthday.
Bobby Valentine managed the Mets from 1996-2002.
Today, Valentine turns 73 years old.
After managing the Texas Rangers from 1985-92, Valentine took over managerial duties for the Mets late in the 1996 season.
He helped lead the Mets to five consecutive winning seasons from 1997-2001.
The veteran manager even took the team to the World Series in 2000, when they faced off against the New York Yankees in the most recent Subway Series Fall Classic.
On Twitter, the Mets posted a graphic to celebrate their former manager and wish him a very happy birthday.
Happy birthday, @BobbyValentine! 🎈🎂 pic.twitter.com/OMRALJZnRy
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 13, 2023
Valentine left the Mets after the 2002 season and didn’t manage again until 2012.
That year, he was at the helm of the Boston Red Sox and led the team to a 69-93 record.
He has not managed since.
However, one of his most famous moments came during the 1999 season.
On June 9th of that year, Valentine was ejected from the game.
But he didn’t exactly hit the showers after that moment.
Instead, the veteran manager found a fake mustache and put it on before subsequently returning to the dugout to manage the game.
This went completely over the umpire’s heads.
Valentine was issued a two-game suspension and a $5,000 fine before ultimately returning to the dugout as himself, without the mustache.
Prior to his managerial career, Valentine played in the Majors for a few years, spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres, the Mets, and the Seattle Mariners.
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