Bobby Valentine ‘Surprised’ to Learn He Set Red Sox Single-Season Ejection Record

BOSTON — A single gesture resulted in Bobby Valentine's
sixth ejection of the season.

After arguing with home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez on Wednesday night — in regards to a called third strike against Cody
Ross
— the Red Sox manager retreated back to the dugout and spread his arms
one more time, emphasizing his case.

At that point, Marquez pulled the trigger and
tossed Valentine, at which point Valentine got his money's worth of yelling in the umpire's face. It set the
Red Sox record for most ejections for a Red Sox player or manager in a season
and Valentine thinks the mark is laughable.

"I can tell you this year — I've done less in all
six times than I ever did before," Valentine said. "It's a different
system. [Wednesday] night I [spread my hands apart] and that's pretty offensive.
And I waited until I got back to the dugout to do it."

After managing against Braves manager Bobby Cox (who owns the all-time record for ejections) for so
many years in the National League, Valentine was stunned that he tallied an ejection record, albeit a franchise one.

"That's a record, huh?" Valentine said.
"Wow. I'm surprised."

At least he's in the record books for
something.

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