The worst part of Bobby Valentine's soon-to-be-over slow-motion train wreck with the Red Sox is its predictability. To say that Bobby Valentine has never gracefully handled a losing season would only obscure the fact that he's never gracefully handled any season. (Even during the salad days with the Mets, Bobby V.…

When they're not infuriating their fans with the unlikely martyrdom of Bobby Valentine, the Chiba Lotte Marines are busy defending the world from monsters. These posters may overstate the excitement of baseball, but only by a little. [Some Japanese Site]

Rally the troops! Chiba Lotte fans are protesting to retain manager Bobby Valentine, hanging this banner: "We would rather fight with Bobby, who says we're the world's best fans, than with a front office who calls us worthless." For you non-Japanese speakers, that roughly translates to Backwards K. [NYT]