BOSTON — Players eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during games. If it didn’t bother Bobby Valentine as a baseball lifer, it would certainly offend his sensibilities as a self-proclaimed gourmet chef.

“He won’t let that happen. There’s no way he’s going to let that happen,” said Tommy Lasorda, Valentine’s manager in the minor leagues and a mentor who encouraged him to try for the Red Sox job.

“There’s times — in all phases of life — when you’ve got to kick them in the (rear) when they need it, and there’s times when you need to hug them if they need it. Your livelihood depends on those guys. You’ve got to have them in the right frame of mind, to be loyal to the organization, to put forth all the effort that they have.”

Boston announced Valentine as its new manager Wednesday, and he will be introduced by the Red Sox at a Fenway Park news conference on Thursday evening.

The 61-year-old replaces Terry Francona, who left after eight years in which he guided the Red Sox to two World Series titles.

At a news conference the day he formally interviewed for the job, Valentine said he learned a lot about discipline while managing in Japan.