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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–As baseball has evolved, gut decisions have gone out of style, replaced by spreadsheets and formulas.
The managers who relied on their instinct are now nearly extinct, succeeded by the next generation of thinkers, or as some players see them, a generation of figureheads.
For 25 years, Bruce Bochy did it his way and in his words, did it with his gut. As the Giants embrace a new era, Bochy announced Monday he plans to retire at the end of the season instead of conform to the new normal.
“He’s just a dying breed,” Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija said. “Unfortunately after this you’re going to have 30 puppets out there giving you cliche answers and it’s a shame because Bochy isn’t that.”
Bochy is set to become the fifth person in MLB history to manage 25 consecutive major league seasons as he enters his final year.
The others are Hall of Famers Connie Mack, John McGraw, Tony LaRussa and Sparky Anderson.
“It’ll be 25 consecutive years without a break, I think that’s what I appreciate,” catcher Buster Posey said. “Just the relatively short amount of time I’ve spent in the big leagues or in baseball compared to him, you understand just the grind and the toll of a professional season.”
A day after Bochy offered an emotional address to Giants players revealing the 2019 season will be his last as the team’s manager, the Giants expressed awe for what he has accomplished in a storied career.
“He’s always been able to work with whatever team he has,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “Whether that’s managing the bullpen or guys on the bench, just knowing when to plug in the right player at the right time, that’s what helped us win the World Series.”
Bochy left San Diego for San Francisco in 2006 after a 12-year run with the Padres. His tenure included three World Series titles, but it also bridged the gap from one Giants era to the next.
In his first year in San Francisco, Bochy managed Barry Bonds. In his third season, he was the manager who met Madison Bumgarner and Posey when they received their first call to the big leagues.
“This will be my 10th year with him and I just want to soak it up and appreciate who he is to the game of baseball,” Posey said. “Enjoy this last year and make sure that not that you need any extra motivation, but if you do, it’s pretty easy to look to him and get some more.”
Posey said he doesn’t believe anyone else will join the quintet of managers to work 25 consecutive years at the sport’s highest level. Neither does second baseman Joe Panik.
“It’s hard to imagine somebody 25 straight years like that,” Panik said. “I think it just goes to show how brilliant of a baseball mind he is, it’s a testament to him. To be in the National League, that too. Having to work the ins and outs of double switches, pitching matchups, not just throwing out a DH, he’s had to manage and he’s one of the best if not the best.”
Bochy is the longest-tenured manager in baseball and a lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s also the type of manager Giants veterans see less of and want more of, in part thanks to the way the game has changed through the years.
As front offices prioritize the ability to control on-field decision-making and implement analytics, there’s less of a place for managers who rely on their experience and personal connections with players to guide their moves.
“I don’t know if you’d say a dying breed but he’s always so stoic,” Posey said. “He’s like the old school, John Wayne, tough guy. I think that’s a positive and I think sometimes it’s good to have that personality.”
With the Padres set to complete a 10-year deal to sign free agent Manny Machado, most computer projections expect the Giants to finish last in the National League West. Bochy’s players are aware of external expectations, but they also understand the remaining milestones within their manager’s reach.
With 74 wins, Bochy will become the 10th manager to reach 2,000 career victories. With an unlikely 90-win season, Bochy will end his managerial career with a .500 record in 25 seasons.
If computers haven’t mattered much to Bochy in the past, his players don’t want 2019 to be the year they finally do.
“It taps into something that isn’t always tapped into,” Samardzija said. “That emotion to come out isn’t always there, there’s always emotion to come play to represent yourself and your team but sometimes it’s fun to go out and play for somebody else.”
