Valentine graduated from North Little Rock High School in 1950, and received a scholarship from the Arkansas State Teachers College to study journalism.

Valentine was also the home plate umpire when Tony Conigliaro was hit by a pitched ball at Fenway Park on August 18, 1967.

[2] In addition, the newly formed Major League Umpires Association filed an unfair-labor-practice claim with the National Labor Relations Board.

He was for a time the executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party, a position originally held from 1970 to 1973 by Neal Sox Johnson.

In his first season as general manager, the team saw a 34 percent increase in attendance, due in part to Valentine's stunts including giving away tens of thousands of tickets to kids, hoping they would bring their parents to the game with them, and holding midget wrestling and amateur boxing at the stadium.

[2] Even though Valentine stepped down as general manager in 2007, after thirty-one years, he remained executive vice president for two more seasons before totally retiring in March 2009.