Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced today that he will retire at the end of the 2019 season (Twitter link). Baseball’s longest-tenured skipper, Bochy is entering his 13th season as the Giants’ manager. In that time, he’s overseen three World Series championships (2010, 2012 and 2014) and helped guide the Giants to a 979-965 record.
A surefire Hall of Famer, the 2019 season will be Bochy’s 25th as a Major League manager, as he also previously enjoyed a 12-year run at the helm for the Padres. The 63-year-old surprisingly only took home one NL Manager of the Year title in those 24 seasons (1996 with the Padres), but his track record is among the most impressive of any manager in the past three decades. As MLB.com’s Jon Morosi points out, Bochy is one of only 10 managers to win three World Series titles, and the other nine are in the Hall of Fame (Twitter link).
As for his future, Bochy indicated that he’ll still be involved in the game in some capacity (Twitter link via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic). He’s already spoken with CEO Larry Baer about alternative roles with the Giants organization and didn’t sound as if he had much interest in pursuing a role with another club, plainly stating: “I’m a Giant.”
With general manager Bobby Evans recently dismissed from his post and Brian Sabean moving into more of an advisory capacity with the team, the departure of Bochy will be the next major step in an organizational overhaul. Ownership tabbed former Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi as the organization’s new president of baseball operations early in the offseason, and after the 2019 season, Bochy’s retirement will give the Giants’ new front office an opportunity to handpick a replacement to serve as a new voice for the next generation of Giants.
Get out while the getting is good…
It’s not his choice. He’s clearly being pushed out!
It’s very much his choice. His replacement is gonna be dusty Baker or Jeff Kent.
Anyone but Dusty!! He’s cursed ever since he angered the baseball gods in the 2002 World Series!!!
To be fair. The giants only had kent and bonds. And bonds was in the middle of his steroid use. And hit a home run that still hasn’t landed. I remember game 7 almost exactly. Other than Garrett Anderson getting the game winning hit in the 3rd inning. 3 run double btw.
Joe Buck has always said some really stupid things. The question he asked McCarver(who in his own right is/was an idiot) Buck asked him “if the giants lose should barry bonds still be considered for the mvp? Buck has said dumb things. I think that takes the cake.
Damn, he might not make it to a career .500 mark with SF, what a long, strange trip.
He was screwed over by injuries and poor management decisions. Have you seen the lineups they’ve given him the past few years? I still find it remarkable the way he managed them last year. He got the best out of guys like Watson, Moronta, Smith. He will be missed.
Definitely, his name is synonymous with one of the last true mini-dynasties MLB has had, doesn’t seem right he might end up under .500 with SF.
Mini-dynasty? Hahaha. Gold Jerry. Gold.
Hopefully they can win at least 75 games for him then. He also needs 21 more wins to reach 1,000 with the team.
I mean 3 rings in 5 years is pretty damn impressive. Has anyone besides the Yankees done that in the last 50 years?
NY was considered a dynasty because they not only won 4 WS titles in 5 years but they were also perennial contenders. They won a total of 5 in 15 years, made the playoffs 14 times, and played in 7 WS games. SF followed each WS title by missing the playoffs.
A’s 70s also come to mind.
He has never really had great Lineups! But have watched him run circles around other so called “good Managers “ even in losing causes especially with the Giants in the Playoffs.I love the whole game and I really think of Bochy when I watch other teams Managers in the Postseason make mistakes that he would not make.I hope Ron Wotus gets consideration,I think it’s time!
… like the do-dah man
End of an Era. Best wishes beyond baseball, Bruce.
Why are people down voting this comment? I’d love if you were required to justify down votes in the form of a comment.
What? So they can down vote those comments too? That’s a slippery slope of a thread that could go forever lol
Odds he’ll still have an overall record above .500 when he retires?
What happens first. 1000 wins or 1000 losses?
1000 losses
Not sure why my comment got thumbed-down. You guys honestly think they’ll be over .500 for most of the season?
They have to get to 25 wins before they get to 31 losses. I don’t see that happening.
Last season they were at .500 on August 31st. In September, due to injuries, they were relying on guys like Hundley as full-time catcher, Gorkys Hernandez and Gregor Blanco in CF, Hunter Pence in RF, and Aramis Garcia at 1B So no wonder they had the worst September in MLB.
They lost significant time due to injuries from Posey, Bumgarner, Joe Panik, Samardzija, Belt, and Sandoval. So yes, since I expect reasonably healthy seasons from at least a few of those guys, and some progression to the mean from guys who had off seasons, I see them as at least a .500 team.
Again, because you have your wins and losses wrong and it’s messed up all of your comments. Taken directly from this article:
“Bochy is entering his 13th season as the Giants’ manager. In that time, he’s overseen three World Series championships (2010, 2012 and 2014) and helped guide the Giants to a 979-965 record.”
979-965. That’s 14 games over .500, NOT 6. Bochy and the Giants have to go 21-34 for him to reach 1,000 wins before 1,000 losses. He would be at 1000-999 at that poain’t. The Giants are usually mediocre in a down season, if not competitive, so I see that entirely in the realm of possibility. I do believe he will reach 1,000 wins first and I believe he will finish with a record (with the Giants) over .500. I don’t know his career record when it comes to what he did with the Padres, I only know what his record is with the Giants as stated in the article, so I am basing everything off that.
You no longer had me at Sandoval…
Sandoval is a utility guy who played 1B, 2B, and 3B, and put up a 99 OPS, and a 97 wRC+. He’s slightly below average defensively, but how many other bench guys are out there with a close to MLB average bat? Like it or not he is a useful piece.
RytheStunner, It is the crazies with the multiple logins giving thumbs down. I think it is too close to call. SF has not nothing this offseason and, at best, are a .500 team. He may hit 1000 wins first based on that logic. I dunno.
Retiring before his Giants record goes to far below .500.
Not his fault he has been given crap teams the last several years, nor is he to blame for the injuries that have befallen many of his players that he was given.
advplee.. he never said that Bochy was to blame or at fault, And what do you mean “players that he was given”? He’s been the manager for 13 seasons. What players was he given that the injuries affected his record? You mean all the injuries that have happened since he was manager? Hm what a dumb comment
Why is that dumb?
Managers don’t get to choose the players that they have access to…that’s a literal fact
In his prime, one of the best managers the game has ever seen. The way he managed that bullpen from 2010-2014 was truly remarkable, even if he trusted Casilla too much at times. Hall of Fame bound.
Hall of mirrors maybe.
In your room maybe
Hall & Oates?
You’re out of touch…
I hope he’s not being forced out. I know he’s had health issues but when he goes should be on his terms. He’s earned that.
I agree.
His health is terrible, he’s not being forced out. It’s time.
This comment section has proven over and over that you kids have absolutely no respect. Thanks for the memories Bruce. Class act all the way.
“Will he get 1000 losses first?” It’s disgusting. No respect for one of the true legends in the game. He took teams that looked average on-paper and built them into winners. He will be in the hall of fame soon enough.
I don’t know about the HOF, but he definitely deserves a lot more respect I agree.. I would have to go look up his numbers compared to other managers that are in the Hall.
He won 3 WS. There’s no need to check the records, he’s a hall of famer.
Guaranteed first time ballot hall of fame! No doubt. Three rings and lead San Diego to the pennant. Yeah, not even a question about that.
advplee go check the numbers. you know nothing about baseball
1600: Yes, yes, yes and yes…why anybody knocked this guy is beyond me. Like Showalter, nobody looks at how many FEWER games his teams would have won WITHOUT him.
With Showalter you should also look what teams did the year after him. They always improved.
Well said. Bochy is totally a class act. Has been a great person for the game of baseball and when he gets into the HOF it will be well deserved. I for one will find it very interesting to hear his take on the game when he’s able to talk about it without the constraints of being a manager.
Not shocking. He was the manager of my childhood Padres who had quite a few good years under his helm. Things have only gone south since he departed, where he killed it even more in SF. Best of luck to him and his family.
Hats off.
Rather large size hat
A Bochy sized hat!
XS – S
M – L
XL – Bison ✔
I appreciate what he’s done for the Giants, but it will be nice to have a new voice in the dugout.
Sure had Leyland’s #.
As a Tigers fan I hate you for saying that, I’m not denying it, but again hate it.
Can’t blame you for that.
Sad news for Giants fans, but probably time to move on from him. RIP
RIP? He is not dead moron!
lol it’s a joke buddy. relax
What’s the joke about applying “RIP” to anything, let alone somebody who is very much alive?
If the giants go 74-88 he will finish .500
If they stay healthy they should easily be a .500 team despite what people who don’t follow the Giants say about them. The National League is still a crap shoot.
I’m trying to figure out where you guys are getting these numbers from.
Bochy is 975-969 with the Giants, was 951-975 with the Padres, and is 1926-1944 overall.
The only way 74-88 gets him to .500 is if he was still with the Padres and you’re only talking about his Padres record.
Who cares what his regular season record is?
READ. THE. ARTICLE.
Bam Bam the next manager? Actually, I bet Zaidi hires someone from outside the organization.
It needs to be Hunter Pence. Heck, make him player-manager if he really thinks he can still play.
I hope that is a joke.
He’s perfect for a young team, if they go that direction. Did you see the bonds he made with that entire clubhouse?
I’m not saying he isn’t a likeable guy, but you don’t just turn over a team to a guy with zero experience. Would be cool if he ended up the Giants manager somewhere down the road after he learned the ropes. The player/manager thing won’t happen again.
Hmm, could be great for the club. Pence is a real morale booster, great player in his prime and a fan favorite.
Dusty Wathan – this is money in the bank…
Should definitely be a Hall of Famer!
The 3 WS should get him in the HOF. That’s as many as The Genius, Tony LaRussa, and he invented the game.
Yes to this ^
3 World Series wins this decade, but some not very bright people will celebrate that he is gone. Me personally, I would have loved to have my team win 3 World Series in my lifetime, let alone this decade and I am 45.
Worst kept secret in baseball.
But man is a legend. This will prob be better for his health. How stressful is it being a manager?
Let someone else inherit that mess. You’ve won more rings, than most managers win in their lifetime.
Good game skipper.
We knew this day was coming but it’s going to be really tough to glance into the dugout n see someone else at the helm. But he had an amazing career and has life after baseball to think about…. after this season.
All good things must come to an end.
I wonder how much this has to do with the new front office. Seems like the trend is for the front office to take on more if a managerial role.
Agree with you 100%. I’m 46 and my hometown team won 1 World Series (when I was 7)& my “adopted ” team won 1 when i was 23.
One of the greats. Bochy is one of the reasons why I never want to see a DH in the NL. His skill in handling that bullpen, was quite impressive.
No offense to AL fans, but it’s just not the same game at all.
Yes, the AL is much more exciting for not having to see managers break tension by making mound visits and pitching changes.
No offense to NL fans, it’s not the same game at all. AL is really entertaining, NL is like watching paint dry.
The LCS last year was a great example of comparing the two leagues. On one hand, you had the thriller of the Dodgers/Brewers series, seeing moments like Brandon Woodruff taking Kershaw deep, Counsell starting Miley to pitch to one batter to throw off the Dodgers lineup, Roberts constantly changing his lineup, and then you had that snooze fest of a series that was the Astros/RedSox. Only one game was actually worth watching.
Simple minds do not understand real baseball and prefer to watch the American league with the DH. They simply cannot understand strategy.
Exactly!
Bochy = strategy
Heck, he may see the writing on the wall regarding the DH in the NL and be gettin out while strategy is still a part of the game
Feel free to grow up at any point. No, acting condescending is not the same thing as growing up.
Yea. I didn’t say it was bad. I said it’s not the same game at all. I understand why some people prefer AL. I’m not trying to turn this into a pissing contest.
To me I love small ball. I love defensive replacements, double switches, sac bunts, nail-biting decisions if you should use a pinch hitter or not. However, some people cannot stand watching awful hitters hit. This makes total sense. To each their own.
Bochy is a classic NL manager is my point. I’ll miss him when he’s gone. One of the greats.
Ruff times ahead Giant fans i wouldn’t count on MadBum to sign an extension
He said he would love to sign one, so maybe or maybe not.
Hope this doesn’t lead to some lackey that has Zaidi and the GM make the lineup and all the in game moves. Not mentioning any particular organizations but yeah, you get it. I don’t like this one bit. I’ve been on board with all the non roster invitees but this is bad news if they go for some guy who uses all 25 guys, every game
Exactly, Puig was relieved to get the hell out of the Dodgers organization because of the platoon.
I would think Hensley meullens would be the highest on list to replace but I hope wotus gets a good shot also have always been impressed with his knowledge of the game when he speaks and he seems like a really good guy.
WOTUS FOR POTUS!
Heard it here first
Turning 64 around tax day! Good baseball man for sure. Enjoy your retirement.
64 is roughly the percentage of his net earnings he gets to keep.
Awesome watching the Giants go so far with him on the bench. Definitely thought this would be coming being it’s his last year under contract with all the heath issues. Us fans and I’m sure all that played for him will miss this guy.
Bruce, time to get out now that the focus is on outrunning the assorted albatross contracts that were entered into in the vain attempt at “one more year”. Faced with losing and with a youth movement, you are just no longer “the guy”.
The clip I saw of you in 2019 ST, isn’t very flattering. The years, especially the recent ones have not been kind. I’ve seen people in their 80’s that look way better than you at 63.
Time to ride off into the sunset.
Oh, you’ve got that all wrong. He’s always been the guy for us fans. He’s always kept us with hope even through the injuries. What other manager out there right now has won 3 World Series in 5 years? Keep hoping you find a skipper like him. One in a thousand.
I wonder of they’ll get more young pitchers to want to be in SF now since he won’t ruin anymore arms. He rides arms harder than Seabiscuit.
I agree he uses effective pitchers a lot but I’ve never heard anyone really say this about his pitcher management. I likes the fact that he doesn’t bail out starters in lost games, his bullpen usage is if anything based on matchups so he doesn’t often over extend them I’ve felt throughout his tenure in SF and all the pitchers I recall have spoken very highly of him something I don’t think they would do if he was putting them in danger.
Not as bad as Dave Roberts and starting Clayton Kershaw before his rehab was over, getting him re-injured.
Retire in peace Booch! We love you! Hope that ticker stays healthy but the writing has been on the wall with your procedures and mid season hospital stays! Bam Bam or wotus lining up!
bochy will be the larusa or Torre of mlb
I wonder if this has to do with the new regime with the new GM coming in and different philosophies regarding analytics.
Bochy is one of 10 Managers with 3 or more World Championships. That is historically good. Best Manager in Padres history. His number will be next to the Giants all time greats at AT&T (now Oracle).
The local media has been reporting for a couple of years that Bochy is burnt out and has health problems.
He knows they’re not getting Harper.
An underated comment! I won’t get my hopes up.
Bochy is one of the best managers of all time, so deeply loved and respected by us (his and the team’s fan base). A class act that will always have a place in SF. Let’s post a + .500 year so you can keep that deserved winning record Bruce!!!
He seems like a thoroughly decent bloke, most importantly of all. Can’t think of a single player who didn’t like him. 3 WS in 5 years? I’ll drink to that. Well played Boch, I doubt you’ll ever pay for a drink in San Francisco ever again.
I love that whoever looks for my name just to downvote me thinks I’m that important! Lol, suckers and haters! Love it!
Maybe you are just a fool.
Glad Bochy is retiring on his own terms. And, glad he still wants to remain in some capacity with the Giants.
Bochy is a true Hall of Famer. No matter his role he will always be part of the San Francisco Giants Family.
Do you think Bobby Cox is bragging about how many games above 500 he was? Or would he rather have more to show for it than a bunch of division titles? Dave Roberts has some nice regular season stats as a manager… but who cares, because he has zero to show for it but an overhyped team. 3 WS rings later, Boch can ride off into the sunset and call it a HOF career
Great manager, great person, and great representative of both the Padres and the Giants. Thank you Bruce Bochy, and hope 2019 sends you off well!
As a life long Dodger fan, I tip my hat to you Botch! What an amazing manager he has been. Will be interesting to see where the Giants go next.
Without him the Giants win exactly 0 WS titles….he will be in the HOF….simply because if his 3 WS and before that he was winning division titles with the Padres….he is in the HOF as sure as Trout will be barring any illegal use of PEDS
Because of his 3 WS*
I seriously doubt Boch ever used PEDs
Meant Trout will make HOF barring PED use…
I don’t recall anyone in the game of baseball ever having a single bad word to say about Bruce Bochy. He’s had a hell of a career, and hopefully he is going out on his terms. Enjoy your last season.
Bochy the exception to the rule that nice guys finish last.
Best manager the NL has seen in the last 20 years.
How much do regular season wins and losses matter? Ask Mike Matheny.
As Krampus said above, the timing of this announcement almost says more than the announcement itself. What does his announcement portend for the pursuit of Harper, or even the chances they retain Bumgarner for that matter? Yes, Bochy was only contracted through this season, but there are several large personnel-related matters in front of the team ownership/leadership right now, and your HOF manager just came out and said he’s gone regardless.
What does Bochy know about where Zaidi is headed that would make him announce his decision now?
And lastly, there’s a lot of shade and hate being thrown at a guy who accomplished something this decade that wouldn’t have been done by almost any other manager with those lineups. Not one of Bochy’s teams were powerhouses, and all three teams entered the postseason as underdogs. He must have known what he was doing, especially with his match-ups. He will be missed soon enough.
The timing of this information is odd to me. As an owner down to a manager, I would think you would want to wait until the end of the season or at least after the major available free agents have signed to release this info.
If I were say, Bryce Harper, I would think management would be a big part of my decision in choosing where I am going to spend the next 6-10 years. And not knowing who the leader of the team is going to be after the first year of that long contract would be enough to scare me off.
On that note, this could be a sign that the Giants are done spending this offseason.
Bryce Harper and others decide destination based on money and years alone.
So being flown in to meet and greet with prospective members of upper management and checking out the city have nothing to do with the decision? It’s based on money and years alone. Thank you for clearing that up.
If you read the article, you would realize that Bochy will still be a part of the team.
And if you knew baseball as much as you think you do, you would know that just because a team is giving their future hall of fame manager a cushy desk job showing their loyalty towards their elite, doesn’t mean he will have ANY influence inside the clubhouse.
Somebody is a little cranky. In the Larry Baer era, the Giants have strong ties to their former players. Willie Mays is a regular in the clubhouse. A bunch of former players coach in spring training. I suspect their next manager is already employed by the organization.
You insinuated that I did not read the article. You replied to my comment about a big name/big offer on the table and the odd timing and possible replacement of Bochy and how it could effect that offer. Fact is, I make a valid point on here and typically a bunch of baseball halfwits want to pick apart any concept that does not fit in their simple minds. You actually sound knowledgeable, so Maybe you did not realize you were replying to my comment, but, Bochy staying with the organization would have nothing to do with the instability of the management moving forward past the 2019 season in the eyes of a big time free agent eyeing a 10 year deal, unless, I suppose, he was moving to a GM position. I still think it would make a difference if I were a guy that thought I would be playing for a future hall of fame manager, and that possibility changed during negotiations of my big term contract. And, yes, I am a cranky man, now, I need my nap!
Baseball is not a sport where you sign just based on who you coach is going to be. Harper is a middle of the order bat no matter who he plays for
Is there a sport that players do sign “just based on who your coach is going to be”. Like I said, 6-10 years is a long time, players talk, and not only do they talk about prospective managers coaching style, but a managers history and reputation and a teams commitment to that higher coaching staff shows what direction that team is heading. Obviously money and length of contract are going to be prioritized. But if you had to choose between 2 teams like Philly and SF that hypothetically have given you closely matching offers, I would imagine a “big part” of that decision would be their manager, who,especially in this situation, would reflect the direction BOTH teams are heading. One team appears to be coming out of a rebuild and the future is now, the other has a retiring manager and a team that appears to be heading into a rebuild. Which team would you want to play for?
Thank you, Mr. Bochy for guiding the Giants to 3 World Series Championships and bringing the Bay Area much joy. You are someone to admire, especially how managers of today are changing. You brought an emphasis of bullpen management to the big stage and helped usher in a new wave of managing in playoff baseball. You can spend time with your family and take care of your health more now and we fans can have one last season to shower you with our gratitude for 3 amazing Fall Classics. You deserved another Manager of the Year in either 2009 or 2010 for what you did with those misfits. I thank you for your service to the team that I love and your next stop is Cooperstown and a well deserved HOF celebration for your accomplishments. Let’s hope the guys go all out to send you out on a high note. The Bochy Era will be looked upon as one of the greatest eras of San Francisco Giants history as well as franchise history. Thank you for that Mr. Bruce “Almighty” Bochy!!!
Well said sir!
Mr. Bochy did it right. Great ambassador for the game of baseball. What a ride sir…
Hall of Famer for sure. Since 2004, only the Red Sox have more titles, and that’s with 2 different managers. Gonna miss him. Hope they can win enough games to keep him above .500 with the team.
PLEASE NO BAM BAM FOR MANAGER, he couldn’t even get the hitters to hit when was hitting coach. He might be the second coming of Dave Roberts.
Wotus for Manager or go out of the organization. Will Clark for hitting coach !!
You realize Bam Bam has interviewed for manager positions with great organizations like the yankees etc. And I believe was a finalist. He speaks about a dozen languages and connects with players well. I love wotus but I understand muellens is a little more well known commodity across the league and has always been someone the organization has been concerned about losing which is one reason I understood they moved him to bench coach in place of wotus. Again I love the professor Ron Wotus but the way they moved rags(Righetti) last off season no offense Curt Young I think it is a bit telling how he became the 3rd base coach again even with his experience at the position.
Immortalized a Giant, forever a Padres.
He’ll undoubtedly be wearing a Giants cap on his plaque.
A winning future with a real GM maybe keeps him around. Don’t blame him for retiring.
What is a “real GM”? Everybody knew he was going to step aside. This was just his formal announcement.
I’m sure even you can figure out what that means.
Bochy stays 1 more year had SF pushed for contention. There’s your formal announcement.
He is staying one more year….. He is finishing out his contract. Like a real man. No b s.
Well… Giants games will go by a lot quicker without his usual 6 pitching changes a game.
And just think of how long they would have been if he made the moves when he should have? He would always leave guys in way too long. Romo, Lopez, Affeldt, Strickland, Casilla, etc etc…
He did infuriate me at times leaving guys in too long – like (especially) Casilla and Romo. And good riddance to the childish Strickland
Bochy, thanks for everything! And I hope Dave Roberts won’t be the new Manager! I vote Wotus. Don’t think Dusty wants it. Zaidi will probably go outside the Giants org though.
Bochy could be managing San Diego next season with Machado and Harper in his line-up.