Bobby Sox ... Bobby V Returns To Baseball ...

Stamford's own Bobby Valentine is now going to Boston to . Bobby V, as he is affectionately known, is arguably the greatest athlete to ever come out of Connecticut. However, his talents weren't confined to the athletic fields. The Italian kid from Stillwater Avenue was also the national ballroom dancing champion at age 14 as well as a champion pancake eater at 18! Later on, after his major league playing career ended, he opened a successful bar and restaurant that bears his name. Success and talent seemed to be his constant companion for most of his life.

When Valentine was named manager of the New York Mets in 1996, he quickly turned around a struggling franchise and had them in the World Series within four years. In his most recent managerial stint in Japan, Bobby V not only won a championship, but became, and remains, a legend in that far away land. He even taught himself how to speak Japanese, no small feat for a grown man in his 50s.

Good luck, Bobby! We are rooting for you down here in the Stamford area.....except when you come to the Bronx!