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Ben Cherington Declines to Address Bobby Valentine’s Future as Speculation Swirls About Manager’s Future

Ben Cherington wanted no part of discussing the
managerial situation.

With skipper Bobby Valentine's future hanging in the
balance, the Red Sox general manager side-stepped all questions about the 62-year-old manager's
future until the season had been completed on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to talk about it," Cherington told reporters in New York. "We've said many times Bobby's the manager of the team through the
end of the year and we'll talk about it at the end of the season. That's what we'll
do."

Cherington, however, was aware of Valentine's belief that
his coaching staff had undermined him this season. While Cherington recognized
the discord, he resorted to simply respecting Valentine's opinion.

"He expressed his feeling, and that's just his
feeling," Cherington said. "I'm sorry he feels that way. It's hard
for me to comment on. I don't know of any example. That's his feeling. I'm not
in his office the whole time.

"I'm not in the clubhouse the whole time. I don't
know what exactly he's referring to, but he's got a right to his opinion and he
expressed it. If he feels that way, then I feel bad."

In the coming days, Valentine's future should be clear –
one way or the other. 

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