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When Former Mets Manager Bobby Valentine Returned to Dugout With Fake Mustache and Sunglasses After Being Ejected
Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine was ejected 25 years ago when he returned to his dugout with a fake mustache and sunglasses.
![Bobby Valentine while wearing a fake moustache [Credit-Getty Images]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/pics/855x855/1394465940_a-general-view-of-the-ice-surface-and-score-clock-credit-getty-images-2_202405.jpg "Bobby Valentine while wearing a fake moustache [Credit-Getty Images]")
This story happened on June 9, 1999. The New York Mets were six games behind the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead. The Toronto Blue Jays responded on the field with a 3-3 top of the 12th.
Shannon Stewart was on first, and Craig Grebeck was batting during the play, which resulted in Valentine's expulsion. Pitcher Pat Mahomes fired a pitch to catcher Mike Piazza, who attempted to stop Stewart stealing second. Doesn't it seem like a routine? It was judged as catcher interference.
Piazza stood up and took the ball before it crossed the plate, prompting the interference call. The call resulted in the batter being given first, followed by the runner. Valentine then took the field to present his case, which resulted in his ejection.
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What did Bobby Valentine do after his ejection?
Valentine returned to the Mets dugout with a different look after being ejected for arguing a catcher's interference call in a tense extra-inning game against the Blue Jays on June 9, 1999. The skipper disguised himself by wearing a hat and sunglasses, as well as an eye-black sticker mustache. 
The broadcast crew promptly discovered him, and the league banned him for two games and fined him $5,000. Though this would become one of the most iconic incidents for the experienced manager, Valentine revealed on The Post's Amazin' But True podcast that it was not his first effort to sneak into a game.
Valentine was banned for a game against the Twins in 1989 while serving as manager of the Texas Rangers. Managers were allowed to be present with the team for practice but not for games during the banishment. That didn't stop Valentine from attempting to get inside the Minnesota stadium.
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Bobby Valentine is 73 now
Valentine was unfortunate to find that his disguise was a complete failure before he even got to sit down. A fan noticed him seconds after he entered the stadium. Valentine, now 73, guided the Mets to the NLCS in 1999 and the World Series in 2000. He concluded his seven-season stint with the Mets at 536-467 before being sacked in 2002.
Despite a one-year managerial return with the Red Sox in 2012, Valentine is now focused on a different leadership opportunity: In May, he launched his candidacy for mayor of Stanford, Connecticut.
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