Posted on February 18, 2019, by Bryan Zarpentine
No matter how it ends, the 2019 season will mark the end of an era for the San Francisco Giants. On Monday, longtime Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that he will retire at the end of the season. This will be his 13th season as manager of the Giants and his 25th as a big league manager. When it’s over, Bochy will be a strong candidate to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
“In my mind, it’s time,” Bochy said of his decision. “I’ve managed with my gut. I came up here in 2007 on my gut. So it’s a gut feeling it’s time. It’s been an unbelievable ride. There’s so much in there to be grateful for, with the players, the city, the fans, my ride here. It’s time. I’ll stay in baseball and do something.”
Bochy’s managerial career began in 1995 when he was hired by the San Diego Padres. He won over 900 games during his 12 seasons in San Diego. Bochy took the Padres to the postseason four times during that span and won National League Manager of the year in 1996. Somehow, that was the only time Bochy won Manager of the Year.
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After the 2006 season, Bochy and the Padres parted ways, and he quickly agreed to become manager of the Giants. He oversaw a rebuilding project over the next few seasons that ultimately led to something akin to a dynasty. Under Bochy’s leadership, the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He is just one of 10 managers in major league history to win the World Series three times. The other nine are all in the Hall of Fame, where Bochy is likely to be one day.
“Words cannot adequately express the amount of admiration, gratitude and respect the Giants family has for Bruce Bochy,” said Giants president and CEO Larry Baer in a statement. “His honesty, integrity, passion, and brilliance led to the most successful period of Giants baseball in the history of our franchise. He will always be a Giant, and we look forward to honoring him and all of his achievements throughout his final season in San Francisco and inevitably in Cooperstown.”
Bochy said that he started to realize at the end of last season that 2019 would probably be his last year managing. He talked it over with his family over the winter and came to the conclusion that it was time to retire. After the season, he’s likely to remain involved in baseball in some capacity. Exactly what Bochy does remains to be seen. In the meantime, the 63-year old is focused on the season ahead and trying to get the Giants to the playoffs.
“There’s a lot of things that I look forward to doing, but right now my head’s at this moment,” Bochy said Monday. “I’m going to focus on getting this team ready. I look forward to one more shot, trust me, and us having a big year. I’m all in.”
Heading into the 2019 season, the Giants aren’t exactly considered to be favorites to make the playoffs. They’ve also missed the postseason the past two seasons, which is a long drought for them considering their success earlier this decade. Bochy will certainly try to enjoy his last season as a major league manager in 2019. But he also has a big task ahead of him, as he tries to end his career in a memorable fashion.