If you're an Angels fan and you happen to love wacky baseball promotions, you should know that the New York Mets are holding “Bobby Valentine Disguise Night” at Citi Field on May 29. Many Angels fans don't realize the integral role the former Mets manager played in early Angels history, so let's review.
First the fun stuff. The first 15,000 fans getting a mustache-and-glasses get up to commemorate one of the wackiest managerial moves ever.
Before we get into the details of the promo and the event that prompted it, let's talk about Valentine's time with the then-California Angels. Valentine was a talented shortstop prospect who came up in 1973 and hit .302 early in his first season. But Valentine caught his spikes in a fence and suffered a compound leg fracture, and the injury basically ended his playing career in 1975. Valentine has maintained close ties with the Angels organization, though, and he's appeared in numerous broadcasts as an analyst.
Back to the history behind the promo. Valentine went on to become a coach and then a manager, and he led the Mets from 1996-2002 and helped guide the team to a berth in the 2000 World Series. The footnote is that while Valentine had an amazing baseball mind, he also had a massive ego that he often displayed by making the team’s success all about himself.
The ultimate version of that happened on June 9,1999, when Valentine was ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th inning. The Mets manager found a unique way to voice his disagreement with the call, returning to the dugout wearing the fake mustache and glasses get up, using eye black for the mustache. He then spent the rest of the game doing his bit in a 4-1/2 hour game that the Mets ended up winning in 14 innings, according to an AP report via ESPN.
Valentine was suspended for two games and fined $5,000 for the stunt, which was considered a total clown-show move at the time. But the 75-year old Valentine has since leaned into the concept, and in 2024 he did an in-game interview in the Angels booth wearing a disguise.
The former manager is all-in on this commemoration, too.
"I love it!" Valentine wrote in a text to The Associated Press about the planned giveaway. "I'll be there. Can't wait."
It will be a fun night to remember an interesting period in Mets history. The Mets were also star-studded back then, and they were led by the likes of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, third baseman Robin Ventura and pitcher Al Leiter. Controversies were near-daily events when Valentine was in charge, and this is a great way to “honor” his unique legacy.