For days, reporters had been receiving e-mails from the office of Stamford Mayor Michael A. Pavia - who succeeded Dannel P. Malloy - about "an important public announcement'' that would be made on Thursday.
One of the e-mails stated, "The topic of the press conference is of the utmost importance. However, it is not being announced at this time.''
Well, the waiting is over.
Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine was named Thursday as Stamford's new director of public safety and public health. The apparent problem, it would seem, is that Valentine already has a fulltime job as a baseball analyst for ESPN.
But Valentine says it will not interfere with his ESPN work because there are plenty of hours in the day.
Valentine appeared at a news conference Thursday with Pavia at city hall, and the two leaders smiled as they talked about the position. They agreed that Valentine would be paid $10,000 per year, but Valentine says he will donate that money to Stamford charities. They told The Stamford Advocate that Valentine would oversee the city's police and fire chiefs, who would remain in charge of the day-to-day operations of their departments.
Valentine's position was held more than seven years ago by Ben Barnes, who has been named by Malloy as the state budget director.
Known as a favorite son of Stamford, Valentine has been a major figure in the city for years. For decades, he has owned a sports bar in downtown Stamford within walking distance of Curley's Diner, an eatery that became engulfed in a major controversy when the city tried to take the diner by eminent domain. The case went to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which ruled against the city. The diner remains open today.
Now 60, Valentine is perhaps best known as the former manager of the New York Mets from 1996 through 2002. He took the team to the playoffs in 1999 and 2000 - when the Mets lost in the hotly contested subway series against the New York Yankees. Valentine managed the Mets in the era when the team was led by its star catcher, Mike Piazza.
After the National League championship season, Valentine went to the White House in June 2001 with Piazza, pitcher Al Leiter, third baseman Robin Ventura and other veteran players to visit with President George W. Bush, who had been his boss when Valentine was the manager of the Texas Rangers. They also received a tour of the U.S. Capitol from U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, who described Valentine as his best-known constituent in the Fourth Congressional District.
Besides being a manager, Valentine had a .260 career batting average during his 10-year career as a player for five different teams, including the Mets. But he is known mainly for his managerial career, which included two stints in Japan.