PORT ST. LUCIE – Bobby Valentine may be the most computer-friendly person in all of baseball, and in accordance with that he introduced an on-line baseball site yesterday.
The site can be found on America Online’s link to Digital City, or through BobbyV.Com, or keyword “Bobby Valentine.” The on-line clinic will feature his lessons on base running, infield and outfield play, catching, pitching, hitting and bunting. Each segment will be posted for about two weeks.
Valentine dedicated the site to his longtime friend Mickey Lione, whom he calls “one of the greatest high school and amateur coaches in Connecticut high school history.” Lione, who died earlier this month of cancer at 58, coached at Stamford Catholic in Valentine’s hometown, while Valentine went to Rippowam High School.
The manager is also planning the site to be part of a foundation in Lione’s name to benefit high school students with scholarships. *One thing Armando Benitez won’t have to worry about anymore is facing the Mets. While the reliever was with the Orioles last year, the Amazin’s whacked him for two runs on four hits in just 22/3 innings (a 6.77 ERA). Much of that may have resulted from the fact the Mets knew what was coming because Benitiez was tipping his pitches.
Now that he is a teammate, the Mets fessed up. Valentine had Bobby Bonilla, who played briefly with Benitez in Baltimore in 1996, tell the reliever about it. Valentine said Benitez responded well and talked to pitching coach Bob Apodaca about making adjustments. *Jason Isringhausen continues to impress. The 26-year-old right-hander, who didn’t pitch at all last year due to surgery, is starting to get back his nasty curveball, and his change-up is maybe the best it has ever been.