Coincidence? I think not!
“I am honored and flattered that the Orioles reached out with this
potential opportunity, but at this time in my career, I feel I should
direct my energies in another direction,” Valentine said.
Of course there’s now an opening in another direction: southward, in Florida, where — Valentine’s coyness about it notwithstanding — it was widely reported he was offered a job last winter. Jeff Loria is a New York guy, you see, and probably wants to make a big splash with another big New York guy, so his desire to have Valentine skipper the Marlins is understandable.
I’ve seen some people say that maybe Valentine — a man who has never been accused of lacking in self-confidence — might have some issues with a boss like Jeff Loria. My response to that: he has dealt with way, way worse.