Rangers’ Valentine Says He’s Not Interested in Moving to L.A.

Texas Ranger Manager Bobby Valentine said Monday that he was not interested in moving to the Dodgers, squelching a rumor that was bolstered when Dodger executive vice-president Al Campanis was fired last week. Valentine denied the rumors Monday during an unexpected break when the Rangers-Red Sox game was canceled by bad weather.

“For the record, I would not, under any circumstances, take the job with the Dodgers,” Valentine said. “Just as I would not accept a nomination for president from the Republican Party or the job as head football coach of SMU. I haven’t been offered any of them, but there have been a lot of questions (about the Dodgers).”

There has been speculation that the Ranger job was just a stepping stone for Valentine, and rumors began anew with last week’s firing of Campanis, which opened up the possibility of Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, a close friend of Valentine’s, moving upstairs to run the player personnel department. Valentine was a first-round draft choice of the Dodgers in 1968. Lasorda managed Valentine with the Dodgers’ rookie league team at Ogden, Utah, in 1968.

Valentine has a contract with the Rangers that runs through the 1989 season.