Bobby Valentine is known as one of the most eccentric personalities in baseball, a quirky but effective manager unafraid to think outside the box. But Bobby V.’s genius goes beyond the baseball diamond. In fact, it extends onto your lunch menu.
In 1980, Valentine opened up Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery Cafe, a sports bar he owned and operated in his home town of Stamford, Conn. According to Valentine, when one of his customers asked for a club sandwich while the bar’s toaster was broken, Valentine came up with the idea of wrapping the ingredients into a tortilla, akin to a burrito or enchilada wrap. The idea caught on and became known as a wrap, which is still popular today in most food establishments.
Though it is possible someone else came up with the idea of a wrap before Valentine, there is no record of such offering prior to 1980. Without any evidence against the contrary, Valentine takes credit for the discovery.
This should be some food for thought for Ben Cherington while reviewing Valentine’s resume.
Listen to Valentine describe his culinary masterpiece in the video below.
