Valentine’s tenure as Red Sox manager began with hope that the franchise would soon return to a strong position. But it quickly devolved into a lost season, with the Red Sox registering their worst record since 1965. Look back on how Valentine progressed during his 10 months running the Red Sox:
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John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
The Bobby Valentine era began with mounds of optimism when he was introduced as Red Sox manager on Dec. 1, 2011.
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Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff
Valentine arrived in Boston on Nov. 21 for an interview with team officials, and met with reporters afterward.
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Adam Hunger/REUTERS
The new Red Sox manager was all smiles when he donned his new jersey at his introductory news conference.
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John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
Valentine was so giddy he even slid down a stair rail at Fenway Park.
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AP
A day after his introduction, Valentine traveled to the Dominican Republic, where he participated in David Ortiz's charity golf tournament.
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LM Otero/AP
Valentine shared some laughs with reporters when he met with them at the winter meetings in Dallas Dec. 7.
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Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff
Valentine jumped into community service, and represented the Red Sox at the West End House Boys & Girls Club on Dec. 22.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine quickly became a popular sight in Boston, and was cheered at a Celtics game on Dec. 30.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
The good times seemed to continue at the start of spring training, where laughs were easy to come by as Valentine met with reporters.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
The laughs continued as Valentine watched pitchers throw on the day they reported to camp.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine and Kevin Youkilis (right) seemed to get off to a good start when they joked around with Red Sox executive vice president/business affairs Jonathan Gilula on Feb. 25.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine chatted with Dustin Pedroia (left) and Adrian Gonzalez on Feb. 27.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine smiled as he monitored workouts Feb. 28.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine had some fun during a visit to the African Caribbean American Center in Fort Myers Feb. 29.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
On the same day, Valentine shared some laughs with David Ortiz during a workout.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine worked with Mike Aviles during an infield drill in early March. A report later surfaced that the manager and Aviles developed a rift because of a spring incident over an infield drill, but both denied any incident happened.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
On Opening Day in Detroit, optimism still ran high around the Red Sox as Valentine shook hands with Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
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Duane Burleson/AP
By the end of the opening weekend, Valentine was looking for answers after the Red Sox had been swept in three games in Detroit.
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Barry Chin/Globe Staff
There were some smiles back at home for Valentine and catcher Kelly Shoppach, as the Red Sox won the home opener, 12-2, against Tampa.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
But on April 16, Valentine faced his first public controversy over critical remarks he made about Kevin Youkilis.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Youkilis did not play on the day after Valentine's remarks, and sat at the opposite end of the dugout from the manager during that day's loss to Tampa.
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Elsa/Getty Images
Valentine had to make many slow trips to the mound to make pitching changes. On this one, on April 17, he lifted Jon Lester from an 18-3 loss to Texas.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine appeared to take a bite out of the ball when he made a pitching change during a loss to Texas April 18.
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Barry Chin/Globe Staff
In perhaps the Red Sox' worst game of the year, Valentine used six relievers who gave up 14 runs over 3 innings in a 15-9 loss to the Yankees April 21.
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Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Valentine was left looking for answers during this 4-3 loss in Kansas City May 9.
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Charles Krupa/AP
On May 25, Valentine had to help settle down his club after a benches-clearing incident against Tampa.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Valentine met with general manager Ben Cherington before a 9-6 loss to the Blue Jays June 25.
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Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Valentine watched as the Red Sox lost the second game of a three-game sweep by Oakland July 3.
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Michael Dwyer/AP
Back at home July 18, there was more to celebrate with Cody Ross after defeating the White Sox, 10-1.
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Rick Yeatts/Getty Images
Valentine saw little that he liked in a 9-1 loss at Texas July 23, part of a string of six losses in seven games.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Media scrutiny was intense all year for Valentine, including in this pregame news conference July 31, as the trade deadline passed.
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Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
Valentine allowed the Globe to profile him Aug. 4, when he spent part of a very busy day bicycling from Wellesley to Wrentham in the Pan-Mass Challenge.
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Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
He caught a few moments of rest in his Fenway Park office before the Aug. 4 game against Minnesota.
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Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
The Aug. 4 game turned into one of the toughest setbacks of the year. Valentine watched as his bullpen allowed four runs in the ninth to the Twins in a 6-4 loss.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
Two days later, Valentine watched batting practice, with his team sitting just a half-game out of last place.
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Jim Davis/Globe Staff
For a change, the media scrutiny wasn't focused solely on Valentine, as he walked past a scrum of reporters interviewing Cherington Aug. 6.
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Nick Wass/AP
The focus was back on Valentine in Baltimore Aug. 14, when a report emerged claiming that players had gone to ownership seeking to have him fired. The Red Sox denied the story.
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Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Valentine chatted with Adrian Gonzalez in the Fenway Park dugout Aug. 24, a day before the Red Sox finalized a trade sending Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers.
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Sports Illustrated
In early September, Sports Illustrated shined a light on the Red Sox' problems with a front-page photo of Valentine.
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Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
On Sept. 5, hours after a testy exchange in a Boston radio interview, Valentine watched the Red Sox finish one of their worst road trips ever — 1-8 — with a loss in Seattle.
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Winslow Townson/AP
Valentine removed Clay Buchholz from the game after he allowed a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss to Toronto Sept. 9.
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Mike Cassese/REUTERS
With his team having lost six of the previous seven games, Valentine looked on early in what would become an 8-5 win in Toronto Sept. 14.
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Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
With his team out of contention, Valentine could only envy the pregame celebration of the Red Sox' 2004 World Series champions Sept. 25.
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Adam Hunger/REUTERS
Valentine's final act with the Red Sox came in Yankee Stadium Oct. 3. The Red Sox lost the finale, 14-2 — their 12th loss in the season's final 13 games.
