Bobby Valentine is one of the most beloved managers in New York Mets history. Valentine led the club from 1996 to 2002, with a record of 536-467 at the helm. The organization will induct him into its ring of honor on May 30.
The most infamous moment in his tenure came in the 1999 season. Valentine was ejected by home plate umpire Randy Marsh, arguing a Mike Piazza catcher’s interference call. He later reappeared in the dugout, wearing sunglasses and a fake moustache made from eye black grease.
Valentine was asked about that incident on “The Show” podcast, hosted by the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. Heyman told the former Mets manager that’s the one thing he’s most remembered for.
“Well, I’m glad I’m remembered for something,” said Valentine.
Bobby Valentine Opens Up About Ejection Preceding Mustache Incident
Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman covered New York baseball in the 1999 season. Sherman was working for the New York Post, and Heyman was a columnist at Newsday that season.
So they asked Valentine to relive that moment.
“You know that 1999, that was a crazy situation for me in my life,” said Valentine. “We got off to a good start, and then we hit a slump, and we went into Yankee Stadium. We lost a couple games, my coaches were fired on June 5th. We got into a hot streak after I predicted we’d go 40-15 or I’d quit.”
Unfortunately for Valentine, the Mets didn’t start the season 40-15. In fact, they were a game under .500 after June 5. When the organization fired the coaches, whom he’d grown to trust over the years, Valentine said he felt naked. In hindsight, those changes would pay off.
But they entered the infamous game on a three-game winning streak and forced extra innings with three runs in the ninth inning. The call that got Valentine ejected from the game happened in the 12th inning.
“And then I’d call a pitch out in extra innings, and my best player in the world steps out of the catcher’s box too soon. And I have an umpire going like this and saying that the runner is safe at second and the batter is going to first on a catcher’s balk and catcher’s interference on the same play.”
That call led to Valentine’s ejection by Marsh. That didn’t deter the Mets manager from trying to see the end of the game from the dugout.
Bobby Valentine on Fake Mustache Incident
The plan was for Valentine to wear that disguise and for starting pitcher Orel Hershiser to block any view of the ejected manager.
“Orel was supposed to be blocking me so no one could see me. It’s Orel on the top step and I’m kind of behind him, but the cameras shot over his shoulder.”
That led to the disguise being thwarted and further discipline for the Mets manager. MLB suspended Valentine for two games and fined him $5,000 for being illegally in the dugout following the ejection.
Ultimately, the Mets prevailed over the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in 14 innings. Rey Ordonez walked off Toronto to push New York’s winning streak to four games.
The Mets wound up making the playoffs that season, although it took a 163rd game to do so. With New York tied for the National League Wild Card spot at the end of the season with the Cincinnati Reds due to identical 96-66 records, they played each other. Al Leiter threw a two-hit shutout to propel the Mets into the postseason, where they’d advance to the National League Championship Series.
In celebration of his induction into the Mets’ ring of honor, Valentine threw out the ceremonial first pitch on May 29. In true Bobby Valentine fashion, he did it in the most flamboyant manner possible and put on his 1999 “disguise”.
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