Bobby V: 2012 'miserable,' wants to return

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, in an animated and contentious interview on The Big Show in which he suggested that he would like to punch radio host Glenn Ordway in the mouth, said that he would like to return to manage the Red Sox in 2013, even after a 2012 season that he characterized as a personally "miserable" one.

"This is what I chose to do. I think it's been miserable, but it's also been part of my life's journey," said Valentine. "You learn from misery."

Asked whether he was concerned about the ownership not commenting on whether he'd return next season, Valentine replied, "No, would it concern you?" 

He added that he would like to manage the Sox next season.  

"Of course," he said. "If that's what I'm asked to do, that's what I'm going to get paid to do." 

Valentine took particular issue to two questions. The first occurred when he was asked if he had "checked out" on a season in which the Red Sox have fallen 11 games under .500.

"What an embarrassing thing to say. If I were there right now, I'd punch you right in the mouth. Ha, ha. How's that sound? Is that like I checked out? What an embarrassing thing," said Valentine. "Why would somebody even, that's stuff that a comic strip person would write. If someone's here, watching me go out at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, watching me put in the right relief pitchers to get a win, putting on a hit-and-run when it was necessary, talking to the guys after the game in the food room -- how could someone in real life say that?"

His reaction to a follow-up related to his late arrival (at approximately 4:19 pm for a 7:10 pm game) for a game on Saturday night, when he was picking up his son from the airport, was even more vehement.

"I shouldn't have to explain that. That pisses me off. Whoever wrote that knew what happened. They knew that my son was coming to see me for the first time in this lousy season and that I got to see him on the road, and that his flight was late, and that I was waiting at the airport in San Francisco for his flight  to come in, and that I sent the lineup in and reported to my coaches that I was going to be a little late," said Valentine. "For someone to say that I was late is an absolute disgrace to their integrity if they have any.

"When you said what you said, you should apologize to me for saying that I came late," he added. "I wasn't late. When you call in and say that you're delayed in traffic coming from the San Francisco Airport to the stupid Oakland Coliseum and that there's a traffic jam, then you're not late, no."

Valentine added that characterizations that he was late to the ballpark were the product of "incompetent" reports and that his arrival time should not have raised eyebrows.

"Four o'clock, like that's so late for a 7:15 game. Joe Maddon gets there everyday at 4 o'clock, just for the record," said Valentine.

For a complete transcript of the interview, click here [1]. To listen to the complete interview, click here [2]. For complete team coverage, visit weei.com/redsox [3].