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Bobby Valentine crashes bike in Central Park after reading text message from Dustin Pedroia
Manager down!
Bobby Valentine's crash-and-burn 2012 season with the Boston Red Sox came to a metaphorical end in New York on Tuesday when he was the victim of a bike accident near the Central Park reservoir.
[Also: Adam Greenberg strikes out in his one at-bat]
It will probably come as no surprise to Boston fans who are baying for Valentine's head that the mangled mishap came as a result of the 62-year-old skipper not paying enough attention behind the wheel.
On the wet, slippery path, Valentine was reading a text on his phone from Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox second baseman, and riding his bicycle. When he looked up, he had to swerve to avoid the umbrellas of two French tourists walking in front of him. The bike skidded, and he lost his balance and went careening head over pedals down the side of the hill by the road.
"I shouldn't have been reading a text while I was riding, " he said. "That's the wrong thing to do. But at least I was wearing my helmet."
Valentine sustained minor injuries to his knees and hips.
Ah yes, when in red-faced doubt, blame the French!
The Red Sox will play the New York Yankees in Wednesday night's regular-season finale and when it's over, Valentine will officially be the steward of the first losing Red Sox team in 15 years. There's a good chance he'll be relieved of his duties soon afterward as the team tries to move on from the mess of the last two seasons.
[Related: Orioles go through roller-coaster watching Yankees' extra-innings win]
All of which has to make you feel at least a little bad after thinking of Valentine picking himself up from a ditch in Central Park a few days before he likely gets the axe. When we're talking about harbingers of doom, falling off your bike while reading a text message has to be the modern day equivalent to getting drenched by a passing city bus on a rainy day or stepping onto the wrong end of a rake you forgot to put away.
Are you ready for the postseason?
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