The Red Sox departed from that path when they invited Gene Lamont to interview Nov. 12. The 64-year-old Lamont has eight seasons of experience as a manager, and Cherington acknowledged after the interview that Lamont’s candid responses were refreshing.
“He did not answer questions in a way where I felt like he was telling me what I wanted to hear,’’ said Cherington. “He answered questions based on what he felt, and that’s what I want.’’
In Valentine, who is now in the running for the job, Cherington would get all of that he could handle.
Valentine is everything the other candidates are not in that he is well known and would arrive with his own time-tested ideas about how to run a team. He also would bring several carts worth of baggage that the others do not, along with a front-and-center personality.
Valentine confirmed that he spoke to Cherington “a while ago’’ and that he hopes for a second chance to meet with the GM and Sox ownership.
He also told the Associated Press, “I’m looking forward to having conversations, if that’s what they want to do.’’
Though Cherington spoke to Valentine informally early in the process, Valentine was not among the candidates subjected to daylong interviews at Fenway Park. As an analyst at ESPN, Valentine has been careful to tread lightly with job openings the last two years.
Cherington seemed to favor Sveum, the only candidate invited back for a meeting with principal owner John Henry and team chairman Tom Werner. That came over lunch Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Henry, Werner, and team president Larry Lucchino remained at the restaurant for 15 minutes after Cherington and Sveum left, discussing their options.
Lucchino then told reporters the Red Sox were willing to open their search to other candidates. The next day, Valentine emerged as a possibility after the Cubs hired Sveum.
Hiring Valentine would be a change in direction for the Red Sox after eight seasons under Francona.
