Bobby Valentine: “I thought I did a hell of a job in Boston … Connie Mack wasn’t going to win with that team”

Sacred Heart University held a press conference today introducing Bobby Valentine as its new athletic director, Jerry Spar of WEEI.com was there to witness it, and not surprisingly Valentine said a few things that I’m sure Red Sox fans will love.

Asked about the 93-loss, drama-filled season with the Red Sox that got him fired, Valentine replied:

I thought I did a hell of a job in Boston. I thought what had to be done there was done except for winning a pennant. But Connie Mack wasn’t going to win with that team. It’s six months of a 62-year life. It’s six months of a 42-year career in baseball. It’s a blip, a little spot on the radar, as far as I’m concerned.

I mean, what do you even say to that?

Asked if his getting the Sacred Heart University job was a “joke,” Valentine replied:

If it’s a joke, it’s an inside joke. I’m very serious about everything I do in my life. I deal with passion and commitment and I deal with excellence.

I sort of want to go back to high school, just so I can use “I deal with passion and commitment and I deal with excellence” as my yearbook quote.

The Blue Jays placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a contusion in his right index finger, per a team announcement on Saturday. The assignment is retroactive to Friday. In a corresponding move, righty Marcus Stroman was activated from the DL (right shoulder fatigue) and will take the mound for the Blue Jays at 9:07 PM ET tonight.

Sanchez, 25, is in his fifth season with the club. He hasn’t looked his sharpest so far this year, going 3-5 in 15 starts with a career-worst 4.52 ERA, 5.1 BB/9 and 7.6 SO/9 through 79 2/3 innings. It’s not yet clear how long he’ll be sidelined, though he could miss as little as one turn in the rotation before returning to the roster in the next week or two.

Sanchez isn’t the only struggling starter in Toronto’s rotation, either. Per MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm, the team placed southpaw Jaime Garcia on the DL (right shoulder tenderness) as well, with lefty reliever Tim Mayza scheduled to take his spot on the roster. In 13 starts this season, Garcia carried a 2-6 record, 6.16 ERA, 4.5 BB/9 and 8.2 SO/9 over 61 1/3 innings. Any further decisions pertaining to the rotation — including Tuesday’s starter against the Astros — have yet to be publicly addressed.