This time, he won't be sneaking back into the dugout wearing a fake mustache. Bobby Valentine is out as the Red Sox's manager after one season, in which Boston (69-93) finished in last place with its worst record since 1965 and endured a seemingly endless string of bickering and missteps. Was Valentine to blame for the team's poor play? Should the blame be on the players for underachieving? Or on ownership for assembling an expensive and flawed team?

• foulout6:"Well this comes as no real surprise. He was always the fall guy from Day One. No one - the ownership, the fans, the players, gave him a a real shot."
• Chillup26:"Threw his coaches under the bus, never handled the players right in the media, needed to happen"
• SFG Deck of Aces:"Shame on the Red Sox. Bobby was a nice scapegoat for year 2 of a 5 year meltdown. I know the Red Sox will return to prominence, but their impatience is going to run several more managers through the meat grinder before it happens."
• superpieman802.2:"all this does is re affirm to the red sox players that they basically have no rules and can do whatever they want. they complained about valentine they didnt like they he was being strict and he got fired. clear message from management to the players that they can do anything they want. prepare for more tough years to come unless the gm cleans house completely(and i mean more then he already has)."
• HyFlyn:"Red Sox are a joke. This guy had almost nothing to do with how terrible the Red Sox played and finished. He does not have anything to do with how terrible they are managed. I hope they continue to spend and fail. Bobby is a good coach who got run because of players feelings getting hurt. The players have cost Francona and now Bobby V. Maybe they should hire Barney the Dinosaur as their coach. He might be able to bring everyone together."
• BostonPats38:"Entitled, gutless and clueless players lost the games this year, not Bobby V. You were right, Pedroia, when you said "that's not the way we do things here - maybe that works in Japan". In Japan, men act like men and not little children, PETEY."
• Trevdog_06:"You can change managers all you want but when your pitching is awful from the start your team is going to be awful. Improve the rotation and the next manger will be "the right guy for the job." Funny how that works."
• chambersburg:"He was a bad choice from the begginning. They thought they needed a coach that would be tougher on the players, but they brought in a guy whose time has passed. As an O's fan I'm sorry to see him go, but as a baseball fan I think he's better off in a booth or out scouting players. He's not a good manager at all."
• StevieB4949:"Lets get something straight. Bobby V is NOT strict. He says so himself. He is a manipulator and he rather throw someone under the bus than deal with issues face to face. Disaster. "

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