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He Played for the Dodgers and Angels and Managed the Rangers and Mets — Former Ballplayer May Get the Nod From Trump to Become Ambassador to Japan

Dec 9, 2016  •  Post A Comment

A former Major League ballplayer is on Donald Trump’s short list to be named U.S. ambassador to Japan. According to a report by WEEI-FM in Boston, Trump is considering appointing Bobby Valentine to the post.

Valentine, 66, is currently Sacred Heart University’s athletics director. He played multiple positions during his MLB career, which included stints in the 1970s with both the Dodgers and the Angels. After his retirement from playing, he managed the Texas Rangers, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.

Valentine also has a connection to Japan, having managed the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League for seven seasons and becoming the first U.S.-born manager to win the Japan Series when he guided the team to a championship in 2005.

Valentine declined to comment Thursday night, but the report cites multiple sources saying Valentine has held preliminary discussions about the possible appointment with Trump’s transition team.

“Such a move would be viewed as another unorthodox appointment by Trump, who named former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration Wednesday,” the report notes.

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