Former Red Sox shortstop John Valentin tosses first pitch for the WooSox on Tuesday
Before Nomar Garciaparra was manning the shortstop position for the Red Sox in the mid-to late 90’s, there was John Valentin.
The 55-year-old Valentin or “Johnny V” played for the Red Sox from 1992-2001, predominantly at shortstop but he also played the hot corner at third and second base.
On Tuesday night, Valentin was a guest of the WooSox at Polar Park and tossed out the ceremonial first pitch in front of fans prior to the game. He also chatted with the guys in the clubhouse prior to the game.
Valentin has moved on from the game of baseball, he is now the Director of Talent Acquisition for Northeast Financial Network in New Jersey.
“Some of the endeavors that he’s in now is helping guys like manage their money and things like that,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said to MassLive. “He’s going to just take a few minutes and let them know what he does and if they need help.”
During his tenure in Boston Valentin provided some dramatic moments. During the 1995 season, Valentin won the Silver Slugger Award, he hit .298 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI.
Valentin also turned an unassisted triple-play back in 1994 against the Seattle Mariners. He was the 10th player in Major League Baseball to accomplish that feat.
Valentin played 10 seasons in Boston, he is a Red Sox Hall of Famer. He hit .281 with 121 homers, 528 RBIs, 1043 hits with an .821 OPS in 991 games for the Sox.
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