Phillips: ‘Sox players will find Valentine honest and supportive'

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Steve Phillips, former Mets GM, joined Sports Tonight and explained that he thinks Bobby Valentine is perfect for the position as Red Sox manager.

"Bobby is a great student of the game, he's a great teacher. He's a guy that handles veteran players and young players. He can handle a large market, the media. He's great in the community. And, to me, the Red Sox roster is a great fit for Bobby Valentine.

"Bobby's a fixer. He's a guy you bring in when things aren't right... He's the best coach, the best instructor that I ever came across. He's a very positive guy, he knew how to push all the right buttons, make you feel good about yourself. I think the Red Sox players have a perception of Bobby that I assume some responsibility for."

Phillips and Valentine were known for their tumultuous relationship, but Phillips had nothing bad to say about his former manager.

"I think that what I've come to realize is that a lot of the issues that Bobby and I had were my issues, not his issues. I blamed him for the longest time for everything and I've realized, as I've lived my own life of recovery now, that I have to own my side of the road."

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