Reports: Red Sox choose Bobby Valentine as new manager

BOSTON, MASS. (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have picked Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and the sides were working to complete a contract, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday
night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Several media outlets in Boston, citing anonymous sources, reported earlier in the evening that Valentine
would be the team's new manager.

The club had no comment, spokesperson Pam Ganley said.

Valentine was in Japan this week, where he managed from 2004-09, and said he
was about to take off on a flight when he sent the AP a text message at 9:48 p.m. Tuesday saying he had no comment on "the Red Sox situation."

Valentine would succeed Terry Francona, who left after eight seasons following Boston's record collapse in September.

Francona guided the Red Sox to a pair of World Series championships, in 2004 and 2007.

Valentine previously managed in the majors with the New York Mets and Texas Rangers, leading the Mets to the 2000 World Series.

He had been working as a baseball analyst for ESPN.

The Red Sox also interviewed Gene Lamont, Torey Lovullo, Dale Sveum, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Pete Mackanin.

Sveum was been hired to manage the Chicago Cubs by former Red Sox general manager Theo
Epstein.

Mackanin and Alomar were told they were no longer in the running.

The Red Sox have gone nearly two months without a manager, but general manager Ben Cherington has noted that Francona wasn't hired until after Thanksgiving -- on Dec. 4, 2003.

Valentine's last major league managerial job was with the Mets in 2002.