Bobby V: I had every opportunity to succeed

NEW YORK -- Speaking with reporters before what could be his last game as manager of the Red Sox, Bobby Valentine said that he had the full backing of ownership and general manager Ben Cherington during the season and said, "I had every opportunity and succeed, and didn't." 

Regarding comments he made earlier in the day on WEEI about some of his coaches undermining him, Valentine said that it was, "Just a feeling I had," and that the effect on the field was minimal. "I don't think it had anything to do with anything." 

Valentine did say that the problem with the hiring process was that it came late and the information flow needed to be improved. 

"I think the process was all right but it was late," Valentine said. "It was phone calls. It was a difficult process. It was fine, but it was difficult." 

Asked what needed to change, he said, "There's an information flow that's needed in any organizational structure and it needs to flow directly. This has been a work in progress to get things to flow in a straight line chain of command type of flow or even information need flow." 

As for what he would have done differently, Valentine said he wouldn't have made the comments about Kevin Youkilis early in the season. "I didn't expect the reaction," he said. 

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