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Bobby Valentine, Orel Hershiser, the Mets and a hilarious disguise 25 years ago

Published

1 year ago

June 14, 2024

Bobby Valentine, Orel Hershiser, the Mets and a hilarious disguise 25 years ago

At a recent Q&A session, Bobby Valentine fielded a question that discussed his antics during his days as manager of the New York Mets. Valentine was reminded of a time where he wore — and was caught wearing — a fake mustache and sunglasses in the dugout. That happened 25 years ago.

The person who asked the question? A 9-year-old fan.

“His father and mother probably hadn’t even met, yet he wanted to know,” Valentine joked. “I’ve been amazed at the legs of that minute and a half of my life.”

There are a bunch of baseball fans who weren’t alive on June 9, 1999, yet somehow they are familiar with one of Valentine’s most infamous (or famous, depending on the person) moments. He was ejected during the 12th inning of what would be a 14-inning game against the Toronto Blue Jays — but he would return to the Shea Stadium dugout wearing a disguise.

That disguise is now a fun topic for Valentine and Orel Hershiser, who played a key role in the attempt to hide Valentine. And 25 years later, it’s still something that many laugh at — young and old — and something that has helped to make Valentine a fan favorite.

The mustache? Valentine said he found eye black stickers from the training room and put them on upside down under his nose.

“I looked in the mirror, and it looked pretty good,” Valentine said. “And then Orel said, ‘They’ll never know,’ when he saw me. The rest is history.”

June 9, 1999: @Mets manager Bobby Valentine is ejected in the 12th inning. He sneaks back into the dugout Shea Stadium wearing dark sunglasses and a fake mustache. #LGM pic.twitter.com/fMgSiyJ5yu
— MetsRewind (@metsrewind) June 9, 2024

The Mets were tied 3-3 with Toronto in the top of the 12th on that June night, and Blue Jays infielder Craig Grebeck was at the plate with outfielder Shannon Stewart on first base. In Stewart’s attempt to steal second, the Mets called a pitchout. Catcher Mike Piazza took the pitch wide from Pat Mahomes and tried to throw out Stewart. Piazza, however, was called for a catcher’s balk for going too far in front of the plate on the throw.

Valentine left the dugout to question umpire Randy Marsh and was ejected. Following the ejection, Valentine thought about ways to get messages from the clubhouse to the dugout. A common practice for a disqualified manager was to watch the game on television and have a “runner” relay messages to the acting manager. Hershiser volunteered to be the runner, Valentine said, but the setup at Shea included running up and down stairs, making Hershiser’s offer to relay timely messages unrealistic.

“Then Hershiser says, ‘Why don’t you come out to the dugout?’” Valentine said. “That’s when he threw me glasses and the hat.”

Hershiser said he’s unsure who came up with the disguise as a solution, but he’s not about arguing the call, so to speak.

“I don’t know what his version (of the story) is,” Hershiser said. “It was like, if you’re going to do that, (you) better cover up as much as possible. If he said I gave him the hat, I believe him.”

Hershiser was tasked with blocking the umpire’s view of Valentine, with Mahomes assisting. Valentine said a camera used to capture players in the dugout “busted” him.

Hershiser, who now works as an analyst for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was familiar with the relay system. It was something he’d seen as a pitcher for the Dodgers when manager Tommy Lasorda was tossed from games.

It’s a funny story now for Valentine, particularly with the Mets ultimately winning that game on a Rey Ordóñez walk-off hit in the 14th. But the ejection wasn’t funny at the time, Valentine said. He was fined $5,000 and suspended two games for the stunt.

“And (Hershiser) never wanted to pay half the fine — and he was making more money than me,” Valentine said with a laugh. “Go figure that out.”

“No one was forcing him to do this,” Hershiser responded. “We were just helping our manager with his idea, or adding to the idea.”

To add, there wasn’t a lot of laughing around the Mets in late May and early June of 1999. General manager Steve Phillips had fired pitching coach Bob Apodaca, hitting coach Tom Robson and bullpen coach Randy Niemann after eight consecutive losses, leaving Valentine with a revamped coaching staff and worrying about his own job security.

The Mets, however, managed to turn things around, winning six of seven after that June 9 win, which actually was a fourth consecutive for the team. The Mets went 17-10 for the month and finished the regular season with a 97-66 record. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS before falling to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.

Twenty-five years later, Valentine said he hasn’t heard much embellishment of the story. But he has heard tales of him having a disguise ready at every stadium, which was not true.

To hear people of all ages — even 9-year-olds — still talk about it means it was indeed a moment.

“I think that it’s all about making people laugh,” Valentine said. “I’m glad the levity helps today, and I guess it helped then, too.”

(Photo: John Conrad Williams, Jr. / Newsday RM via Getty Images)

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Sports

Georgia lineman kicked off team after arrest following high-speed police chase

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2025

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Georgia lineman kicked off team after arrest following high-speed police chase

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Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels was kicked off the team on Monday following his arrest on multiple charges resulting from a high-speed police chase, coach Kirby Smart said.

Daniels was arrested Sunday and booked into the Jackson County Jail in Georgia. He was charged with three felonies, including fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and 10 misdemeanor charges.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels (79) blocks against Georgia outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson (33) during the Georgia Spring game at Sanford Stadium on April 12, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)

The other felonies against Daniels were two counts of cruelty to children because his two younger siblings were in his vehicle at the time, officials said. The misdemeanor charges included reckless driving and speeding.

He reportedly reached speeds of 100 mph in a 25-mph zone in Commerce and 150 mph when the chase continued on Interstate 85.

“I have not had a chance to talk to him or his family, but obviously he’ll no longer be with us,” Smart said.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Charlotte, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Athens, Georgia. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

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Brandi Canada Green, Daniels’ mother, was also arrested after she allegedly drove another vehicle that became involved in the chase. She faces a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, as well as a misdemeanor charge of willful obstruction of law enforcement.

Capt. Cole Edwards said in the police report that he asked Daniels why he fled and Daniels responded “he did not want his mother to get a ticket.”

Daniels was able to get away from the police, but was arrested after officers learned he was a Georgia player and contacted team coaches, who provided assistance, according to an incident report.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Nyier Daniels (79) in the fourth quarter of the NCAA football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Georgia Bulldogs on Aug. 30, 2025, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Daniels was listed as a redshirt freshman and appeared in three games this season. He played in the Bulldogs’ 35-3 win over Charlotte on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

High school flag football: City and Southern Section finals schedule

Published

8 hours ago

November 24, 2025

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High school flag football: City and Southern Section finals schedule

Nov. 24, 2025 12 PM PT

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

CITY SECTION

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Birmingham High

DIVISION III

#2 Hawkins (10-2) vs. #1 Santee (9-4), 2 p.m.

DIVISION II

#2 San Fernando (10-3) vs. #1 Cleveland (5-8), 6 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Southwest College

DIVISION I

#5 Marquez (11-2) vs. #2 South Gate (10-3), 2 p.m.

OPEN DIVISION

#6 Crenshaw (10-1) vs. #1 Carson (8-3), 6 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita (9-3) vs. Corona Centennial (11-1) at Rose Bowl

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica (13-0) at Palos Verdes (10-3)

DIVISION 7

Barstow (9-3) at Apple Valley (9-4)

DIVISION 8

Beckman (10-3) at Brea Olinda (10-3)

DIVISION 12

Santa Paula (8-5) at Grace (10-3)

DIVISION 13

Woodbridge (5-8) at Montebello (7-6)

DIVISION 14

South El Monte (9-4) at Pioneer (7-6)

8-MAN

DIVISION 1

Flintridge Prep (9-0) at Cornerstone Christian (11-0)

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos (11-2) at San Clemente (9-4)

DIVISION 4

La Habra (10-3) at San Jacinto (10-3)

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) at Redondo Union (9-4)

DIVISION 6

Ventura (11-2) at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (7-6)

DIVISION 9

Ramona (11-2) at Cerritos Valley Christian (10-3)

DIVISION 10

Tahquitz (10-3) at Hillcrest (8-5)

DIVISION 11

Baldwin Park (8-5) at Valley View (8-5)

8-MAN

DIVISION 2

Lancaster Baptist (9-3) at Cate (5-7), 1 p.m.

Sports

Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaks Seahawks franchise record in victory over Titans

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaks Seahawks franchise record in victory over Titans

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The Seattle Seahawks came away with their eighth win of the season on Sunday, and once again, it was star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing a large role in the victory.

This time, though, Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leader in receiving yards, made some Seahawks history in the process.

The second-year receiver out of Ohio State set the single-season franchise record for receiving yards after totaling 167 in the 30-24 victory.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Titans in the game at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

Coming into the game, Smith-Njigba needed 150 yards to break D.K. Metcalf’s record of 1,303, which he set in 2020. After Sam Darnold found his favorite target for a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter, it was not only another deep touchdown connection between the two, but it made it quite possible that Smith-Njigba would break Metcalf’s record in just his 11th game of the season.

Smith-Njigba later reached the yardage needed in the third quarter, and that total is only expected to grow with six games left in the regular season.

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It was clear that Smith-Njigba was going to be a great receiver in the league when he tallied 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns during his rookie campaign in 2024. But with a new quarterback in Darnold — Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason — there were questions entering the year about whether the offense would look the same.

Darnold has proven to be the right fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense, and Smith-Njigba has set a new career high in touchdowns and appears poised to shatter his receptions total as well.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

It’s worth noting that Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, partly due to Smith-Njigba’s emergence as a top pass-catching option during his rookie season.

The Seahawks also announced that Smith-Njigba has moved into the league record books. He now has the fifth-most receiving yards through the first 11 games of a season in the Super Bowl era, passing the great Julio Jones on that list.

No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans’ offense made things interesting late, as Chimere Dike caught a touchdown to bring them within six points in the fourth quarter. But Seattle’s defense, which has been a solid unit all season, came through in the end.

Fox One/Fox Nation special promotion. (Fox News)

Smith-Njigba finished the game with two touchdowns for Seattle, while Zach Charbonnet added a rushing score for the Seahawks.

Smith-Njigba will look to add to his single-season total next Sunday when the Seahawks return home to host the Minnesota Vikings.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.