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STAMFORD, Conn. It was a night of nostalgia for Bobby Valentine as the 61-year-old Stamford native visited his hometown as he prepares to take on one of his most daunting career challenges yet managing the Boston Red Sox.
Clad in his high school letterman sweater, Valentine returned Sunday evening to his alma mater, Rippowam High School (now Rippowam Middle School), to reminisce about growing up in Stamford and about his career in baseball. It was Valentines first local appearance since landing the job as the Red Sox skipper.
I played most of my career on the West Coast between the Dodgers, Angels, Padres and Mariners, Valentine said. So to be able to manage in New York and Boston and be around my home Im just a really lucky guy.
It was more than a night of baseball anecdotes, however, as all proceeds from tickets sold and items auctioned at the event went to Ed Randall's Fans 4 the Cure to support prostate cancer awareness. Randall, a longtime New York sports radio personality and prostate cancer survivor, emceed the event.
One in six white guys will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and its even higher for African-American men one in four, Randall told the audience. A man is 33 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than a woman with breast cancer. There will be nothing more important I do the rest of my life than telling you this because God gave me a second at-bat.
Valentine, who said he doesnt normally like to talk about the past, went into detail about his time at Rippowam. With several of his former high school teammates in the audience, he talked about the spot where he built his reputation as one of the greatest high school athletes in Connecticut history.
The high-energy Valentine spoke for more than two hours. He did not need a microphone and often got out of his seat to animatedly discuss his college and professional sports recruitment process, colorful stories of his time in the minors, his injury-shortened career in Major League Baseball and his transition to coaching.
Valentine acted as auctioneer for several items, including tickets and on-field passes to games at Fenway Park and first-row seats at Yankee Stadium. The auction alone raised more than $10,000.
Although he shied from any specifics on many Red Sox topics, it was clear Valentine was itching to get to spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. He brushed off several questions about the collapse of the Red Sox in the 2011 season, saying only he plans to build a culture of confidence in Boston.
Were going to practice our butts off so they have the confidence they need right to the end, Valentine said. And hopefully thats the last game played in 2012.
No matter where Valentine goes Boston, New York, Texas or Japan he says he is always is drawn back to his hometown of Stamford. I was born here. My mom and dad are buried here, and Ill be buried here. This will always be my hometown.
Update, Jan. 30, 8 p.m. - Fans 4 the Cure executive director John Lupton informed TheDailyStamford.com that Sunday's event raised nearly $40,000 for prostate cancer research and awareness.
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