CSN: Bobby V's first month a 'train wreck'

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It's been a month, and the early returns on Bobby Valentine -- at least to Michael Felger and Lou Merloni -- aren't encouraging.

"[To say] he has been a train wreck, I think, is not being unfair in this first month," Felger said on 'Sports Sunday'. Merloni, the ex-Sox infielder, agreed, saying Valentine's first month "has been a mess".

"I've talked to a lot of baseball people, I mean guys that either scout or [have] been around this game a long time," said Merloni. "You got a lot of people shaking their heads at some of these moves that he has made . . . "

One move in particular that they both mentioned: Not knowing that Twins starter Liam Hendricks was right-handed last week, which forced Valentine to change his lineup about an hour before the game.

"[The] Red Sox faced that pitcher . . . twice in spring training, including a five-inning start," said Felger, later adding: "And then a month later, Bobby's filling out the lineup card to face this pitcher and doesn't know whether he's left-handed or right-handed. That is . . . wow!"

"Somewhere," Merloni joked later, "Carmine (the computer) . . . is just blowing up because all of these matchups and all of these numbers are based on who you're going up against that night . . .

"And if you don't even know if it's a lefty or a righty, then what's the starting point? It's actually been kind of scary."

Concluded Felger: "It feels like the game has passed him by, or he's lost his fastball. [It] just feels like he's every bit of 62 years old."

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