FILE-This Nov. 21, 2011 file photo shows ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine smiling as he answers questions from reporters following his interview for the vacant Boston Red Sox manager position, at Fenway Park in Boston. A person familiar with the decision says the Boston Red Sox have chosen Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and were working to complete a contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday Nov. 29, 2011 because no announcement had been made. (AP Photo/Bizuayehu Tesfaye, File)
FILE-This Nov. 21, 2011 file photo shows ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine smiling as he answers questions from reporters following his interview for the vacant Boston Red Sox manager position, at Fenway Park in Boston. A person familiar with the decision says the Boston Red Sox have chosen Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and were working to complete a contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday Nov. 29, 2011 because no announcement had been made. (AP Photo/Bizuayehu Tesfaye, File)
FILE-This Aug. 14, 2002 file photo shows New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine leaning on the dugout rail before their start against the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium in New York. A person familiar with the decision says the Boston Red Sox have chosen Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and were working to complete a contract.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday Nov. 29, 2011, because no announcement had been made. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)
The Boston Red Sox have picked Bobby Valentine to be their next manager and the sides were working to complete a contract, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. An announcement could come by Thursday.
"He's got it. I just spoke to him a little while ago," Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, who managed Valentine in the minors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, said in a telephone interview with the AP.
Valentine would succeed Terry Francona, who left after eight seasons following Boston's record collapse in September.
Valentine previously managed in the majors with the New York Mets and Texas Rangers. He led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, where they lost to the New York Yankees in five games. He had been working as a baseball analyst for ESPN.
"I'm happy for him. The Red Sox got themselves a good manager. In all my years, I've never seen a guy prepare a team for a game like he does. That's what makes him unique," Lasorda said.
The Red Sox also interviewed Gene Lamont, Torey Lovullo, Dale Sveum, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Pete Mackanin.
Valentine's last major league managerial job was with the Mets in 2002.
Three years earlier, he was ejected for arguing a catcher's interference call in the 12th inning of a 14-inning game against Toronto. Valentine then returned to the dugout wearing a fake mustache and sunglasses. The Mets won 4-3, but Major League Baseball suspended him for three games and fined him $5,000.
The energetic Valentine, 61, has a more confrontational style than Francona, who was known as a player's manager. And that may be just what the Red Sox need after their late-season flop.
They led the AL East for much of the summer but went 7-20 in September, squandering a nine-game lead in the AL wild-card race and finishing in third place in the division, one game behind Tampa Bay.
Francona and the team parted ways two days after the end of the regular season, with Francona saying the players needed a new voice in the clubhouse. The Red Sox didn't pick up his option for 2012.
Valentine interviewed on Nov. 21 with Cherington and other members of Red Sox management.
Asked then about his philosophy of discipline, he said, "Discipline is not 30 whacks with a whip these days. But everyone likes discipline. Everyone likes structure. Everyone likes to be acknowledged when they do things properly. Discipline and rules and things like that ? it's just about right and wrong."
He also was enthusiastic about the job.
"They have one of the best teams in baseball, one of the best organizations in baseball, one of the greatest venues in baseball, with a winning tradition over the last 10 years," he said. "Other than that, there's really no reason why I want to be here."
Valentine managed the Rangers from 1985-92 and the Mets from 1996-2002. He was fired by the Mets after the 2002 season when they finished fifth in the NL East. That was the only one of his six full seasons with the Mets when they ended up below .500.
With the Mets, he clashed publicly with general manager Steve Phillips.
In 2004, Valentine began a six-year managing career in Japan, where he won the Japan Series in 2005 with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
A Connecticut native, Valentine won MVP awards in the Pioneer League in 1968 and the Pacific Coast League in 1970, both times with Lasorda as his manager.
Valentine played second, shortstop, third base and outfield and made it to the majors with the Dodgers from 1971-73. He also was with the California Angels (1973-75), San Diego Padres (1975-77), the Mets (1977-78) and the Seattle Mariners (1979).
His career was derailed by a broken leg sustained when his spikes caught the chain link fence at Anaheim Stadium in May 1973 as he tried to catch a home run hit by Dick Green. Valentine finished with a .260 career batting average, 12 homers and 157 RBIs.
The son-in-law of former major league pitcher Ralph Branca, Valentine has a 1,117-1,072 record as a major league manager, but has never finished in first place in 15 seasons.
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AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum and Howard Ulman contributed to this report.
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