Report: Bobby Valentine A Candidate For US Ambassador To Japan
By Ryan Mayer
As we get closer to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20, we continue to learn of which people he's considering for positions in his administration. On Thursday night, WEEI Radio in Boston reported that former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine is a candidate to be the United States' ambassador to Japan.
"According to multiple sources, Valentine is on a short-list of candidates for the job of United States Ambassador to Japan. The 66-year-old, who currently serves as Sacred Heart University's athletics director, has engaged in preliminary discussions with President-elect Donald Trump's transition team regarding the position."
Valentine, however, denied to the New York Daily News on Friday that he has been in contact with anyone from Trump's team.
One of the main reasons Valentine would make sense is his experience living in Japan, having managed the Chiba Lotte Marines for seven seasons. He is still popular in the country after leading the Marines to the Japan Series title in 2005. WEEI listed several reasons that Valentine's appointment would make sense.
"A few other elements that may help Valentine's case include Japan prioritizing bringing baseball back for the 2020 Summer Olympics, along with the athletic director's familiarity with SoftBank Hawks owner Masayoshi Son. Son recently announced after a meeting with Trump that SoftBank would be investing $50 billion in America's technology sector."
Valentine wouldn't be Trump's first sports-related appointment. He nominated WWE executive Linda McMahon to be the head of the Small Business Administration earlier this week. Meanwhile, Jets owner Woody Johnson is reportedly under consideration for ambassador to the United Kingdom.