Valentine Claims Exploitation in ‘Confidential Memo’ Leak

Bobby Valentine, manager of the Texas Rangers, says American League umpires have exploited a confidential directive he got from Texas owner Eddie Chiles to stop getting thrown out of games.

Valentine was thrown out of Tuesday night’s 12-1 victory over Oakland, his fourth ejection of the season.

After the game, he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he thought a letter from Chiles in May, ordering him to stop getting ejected, was confidential. The letter came after Valentine received successive ejections May 2-3 in Toronto.

But in Tuesday night’s game, Valentine said umpire Jim Evans alluded to the Chiles directive.

“Jim Evans told me I don’t know how to argue--I’m out of control,” Valentine said. “He said, ‘What does your owner think about it?’ As it turns out, Eddie sent me a letter after the Toronto debacle and told me not to get thrown out anymore.

“It makes me understand a lot of smirks I’ve gotten on the field and a lot of the confrontations where I’ve been egged on. I don’t think that’s a situation that should exist.”

Evans said he didn’t make any direct reference to the Chiles letter. “I said he had to learn to argue to keep himself in a ballgame. I know about a letter, but I certainly didn’t mention it in an argument, Evans said.”

Evans said he read about the letter in a newspaper story. But last night was the first time Valentine has ever mentioned such a letter to reporters who cover the team.