That said, for the most part, Valentine seems to work best with disciplined, selfless talent, most of whom are primed to buy in to his style of play. For instance, I think David Wright would do well with Valentine, but I think Jose Reyes would struggle. So, if the Mets intend to rely on the Gary Sheffields of the world, the Carlos Delgado, Valentine should never return. However, if the Mets plan to build a team around hit-and-runs, less power and more doubles in the gap, timely stolen bases, bunting, a versatile bullpen, and basically play chess on a baseball field, Valentine is the best man for the job.
I love Bobby Valentine, but this only makes sense if the Wilpons blow the team up for 2010 and go into full rebuilding mode. Otherwise, Manuel is the right man for the job.
