Fresh off his induction into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, Stamford native Bobby Valentine returned to his hometown to another kind of honor—the enduring affection of the community that has cheered him on for decades.
For the city’s favorite son there is still no place quite like home. His Bobby V’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, along with his sports academy, have long been staples of the community—places where sports, stories, and local pride come together.
While at Citi Field in late May being recognized for his accomplishments as both a former Mets player and the manager who led the team to the 2000 Subway World Series against the Yankees, Valentine also revisited a moment that cemented his place in baseball lore.
On June 9, 1999, Valentine was ejected from a game and sent to the clubhouse. Soon after, he reappeared in the dugout, attempting to hide behind the wall. When television cameras caught him, viewers saw Valentine wearing a hastily painted black mustache and sunglasses in disguise. The stunt became an instant classic in baseball history.
His list of sports accomplishments are far too extensive to capture in full, but a few early highlights hint at the remarkable career that followed:
As a freshman at Rippowam High School, he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown the first time he ever touched the ball in a varsity game.
In baseball, he batted .404
He became the first football player in the state to be named All-State three times.
As a senior, he was featured in the national publication Sport Magazine, signaling that his talents were already gaining national attention.
Valentine remains as active as ever. In addition to serving as an advisor to the general manager of the Los Angeles Angels and overseeing his Stamford businesses, he has taken on several new ventures. He recently joined the advisory board of Steel Sports, a global organization focused on youth development through athletics. Its signature program, “Kids First,” aims to elevate and standardize coaching practices under a philosophy named for Valentine’s mentor and former manager, Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda. Known as “The Lasorda Way,” the initiative will take Valentine back to Japan, where he achieved rock-star status as the first American manager to win the country’s championship series.
Valentine’s Makuhari Media, founded more than 15 years ago, remains active in 2026. Film production has accelerated under the leadership of his partner, Andrew Muscato. In April, the company played a role in the Prime Video release of Balls Up, a World Cup soccer spoof directed by Peter Farrelly. A second film, I, Rocky, is scheduled to debut in November.
Another commitment close to his heart is assisting the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame—which inducted Valentine in 2003—in its search for a new permanent home. In 2016 he was inducted into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame.
Valentine’s career has stretched far beyond the baseball diamond. He has served as Stamford’s Director of Public Safety & Health, spent eight years as Executive Director of Athletics at Sacred Heart University—where the Bobby Valentine Health & Recreation Center now stands—and remained steadfast in his support of local charities, including The Mickey Lione Jr. Fund and the MS Dinner of Champions.
No matter where his career has taken him, Bobby Valentine has never strayed far from his
roots. Stamford has always been home—and it always will be.
"I'd tell the younger me to listen a little more. But, knowing me, I probably wouldn't have listened."
The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that promotes an active healthy lifestyle and personal development through sports. FCSHOFYF recently celebrated its 20th anniversary of having a significant impact throughout the county in educating and serving the area's youth. In the past three years, the Foundation has donated over $200,000 to 25 community organizations and charities that support young people's health and wellness in 10 different towns. It also has provided financial aid and resources to the two primary scholastic athletics conferences that oversee 32 high schools.