Bobby Valentine searches for his next great challenge

“Japan is not like the United States. You don’t have one meeting, throw ideas out on the table and things get implemented immediately,” Valentine said. “Things aren’t said and then done. The weight of tradition is such that any new idea is tested over and over and over. And then ... maybe ... it’s adopted.

“I’ve always been a kick the wall down type of guy,” Valentine continued. “It’s difficult in Japan. There is resistance all along the way. My thought is that Japanese baseball belongs to the Japanese people. Not up to the hierarchy of the sport to make all the decisions. I make decisions during the nine innings of each game. But the rest of my ideas become mere suggestions.”

...Valentine also thinks it’s not too late for Major League Baseball to reach that next generation of players and young fans. Even in the face of playoff games and Sunday Night baseball that ends around midnight when kids are asleep.

“Yes, we need to create interest in baseball when kids are young. Kids can play in places like this Academy when it’s dark and cold in the Northeast,” Valentine said. “It saddens me that the World Series is on TV so late in the East. But I have high hopes for the MLB Network that will be the future. The MLB television network will be a forum where kids can see baseball and learn about baseball 24 hours a day. It will be available to kids at hours when they are awake. The MLB Network people get it.”

and the “Wrapping with Bobby V.!” talk show will be starting in…