Red Sox meticulous in hiring Valentine

November, 30, 2011

11/30/11

1:35

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

It looks like the Boston Red Sox finally have their man.

After the drama that surrounded the exit of former general manager Theo Epstein and field manager Terry Francona, the Red Sox chose Bobby Valentine as their next manager with decidedly less fanfare. Though the Red Sox left themselves in a lurch by seemingly having no plan in the wake of Epstein's and Francona’s departures, they got themselves together and methodically searched for their next manager. And I can tell you from experience, the process of hiring a manager is by no means easy.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.