Former Giants and Padres skipper Bruce Bochy is taking the year off, but it seems increasingly likely that he’ll eventually return to the dugout. Bochy had previously left the door open to a managerial comeback, but his recent chat with MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (as passed along by Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle) represented a much clearer indication of his future intentions.
“I’m just hitting the pause button,” Bochy said, at Russo’s suggestion that the three-time World Series winner would manage again in the near future. “That’s all, you know, and taking a sabbatical here for a year and then, you know, I’ll see where I’m at. I don’t know how I’m gonna feel but I’d love to have one more shot.”
As Schulman points out, Bochy often struck a coy pose with reporters in the 2019 retirement tour that saw him receive numerous “sendoff” gifts in pregame ceremonies planned by rival teams. The 64-year-old event went so far as to remark on Feb 19 that “Never is a long time” when asked if he was truly retiring in the strictest sense of the word, but he never went so far as to say that he would “love” another opportunity.
This previously indefinite stance, coupled with the fact that Bochy’s February retirement announcement coincided with the installment of Farhan Zaidi as San Francisco’s president of baseball operations, led many to speculate that Bochy’s retirement from the Giants dugout was as much about retaining goodwill as it was about marking the end of a career. This is personal speculation, but considering Zaidi took over an organization that had seen two consecutive losing seasons under the veteran skipper’s command, it’s possible that the two sides came to the conclusion this Spring that a pause for Bochy and a change in leadership would be mutually beneficial. This latest chapter would seem to mesh with such a scenario.
Go for it!
Cool – he can return to the Giants next year when they fire the young, analytically-driven new manager they are about to hire! Haha!
Seriously, I hope he does come back to the game if he still feels the fire; He has been a great manager.
He just wanted out of San Francisco haha
Nah. This is just more evidence that Bochy was pushed out the door by Zaidi. Bochy “retiring” was a more palatable way to leave SF than to be fired. The second to last sentence sums it up pretty well.
I’d guess it was more that he saw that Zaidi wanted to hire his own manager so he made his own decision not to be back. From what the SF beat writers are saying, “he had the self awareness to step away” (baggarly). He knew his time in San Francisco was up and didn’t have to be told.
Agree completely.
Now the Giants can finally rebuild like they should have done in 2019, but couldn’t sell off and hurt Bochy’s feeling. Set them back a yr and was idiotic to not sell. That team was never going anywhere.
Are you implying it was Bochy that somehow kept them from “selling off” players?
That’s completely wrong, Bochy is a lifer and would have continued to coach if kept on no matter the players. It’s the organization that would not completely strip the team because if fear of losing money at the gate. They still won’t say they are rebuilding even tho that’s exactly what’s going on.
The Astros got Osuna.
But they don’t got Taubman.
Astros go straight to the moon with Archie Bunker like comment. LOL! A lot?
But for serial, cereal? Coo coo coco puffs in this World Series. And the Trix too.
Bochy has for him a Tiger career when they say no more rebuild, no more Gardenhire.
We want Bochy. Why? He’s girrrrreat! Lol, a lot?
What is wrong w you
Great, now I need to change my domain name.
He’ll retire again at some point. Keep it !
LOL
I mean technically he’s looking to 2020 to add to his retirement fund.
San Diego shoulda waited a year
I don’t think he wants to go back to the Padres… lol.
But we shall see… maybe if Preller and Tingler are both let go after a disappointing 2020 campaign.
Dodgers ?????
Get them over the hump if Roberts can’t
Giant fans would love that
I doubt he would let his SF reputation be tarnished by going to the enemy. However, many have tried. Off the top of my head Juan Uribe and Jeff Kent did fairly well, but Jason Schmidt and Brian Wilson pretty much collected paychecks and hung out at Venice Beach.
Brian Wilson was great the first year with LA, and awful the next.
You count pitching 13 innings for $10 million great? Ok.
Who knows? Maybe he’ll take a liking to being an analyst at MLB Network or some other place and never feel the desire to come back. He certainly doesn’t need to pad his HoF numbers. He most likely doesn’t need the money. I know i’d be more interested in what he has to offer on players/teams/organizations than most of the people already in the baseball media.
Imagine if he came back in a year or two to manage the padres. I can’t think of a more fitting cap to his career than to bring a championship to SD & cement his status as the greatest manager of all time.
Bochy is a lifer, you think he wants to be a media guy?
Great manager but have you ever heard him speak? He would not be good as an analyst. Plus they would have to do a wide shot every time he was on air to get his big melon in.
Is he the Mets “bombshell?”
Probably the padres
He would have made the playoffs with the Mets pitching this year
I always held out hope he might take the Padres opening. I think he would be perfect for San Diego
I was always hoping he would take the Padres job. Perfect fit
Now the horrible hire by San Diego makes sense. Cheapest manager ever will get canned after one season and Bochy will take over.
You beat me to it. I was hoping thats why they hired him. Tingle berry (hopefully) gets 1 yr as AJs whipping boy and then drop him like a bad habit next yr for the BOCH.
Only if they drop Preller too…
There were about 8 managerial openings this year. Next year may be another bunch.
Why do you morons only mention the same teams over and over. Let the season play out.
Bochy is waiting to see if the Cardinals tank next year, and if Mike Shildt ends up getting fired.
I would love to have him with the Cardinals
I’d take him on the Southside of Chicago.
Amen
detroit!
I just hope he goes to a contender with a great bullpen. It’s fun watching him out manage the opponent. The 3 AB minimum will hurt his style just a bit. But the future HOF will make it work just fine.
After the 2018 season, Bochy said he was still “hungry”, obviously saying he wanted to keep on managing. Then Zaidi got in and in spring training Bochy announced his “retirement “. Maybe I’m wrong, but I never saw a manager announced his retirement before the season began. I think he knew they were not going to renew his contract, so they preferred to make it look like a retirement, not something like the Maddon case.
And if Bochy comes back after 2020, it’s not going to be with SF.
You’re talking about this like it’s some kind of secret. They went a different direction in the front office, and Bochy had a year left on his contract. You don’t just fire Bruce Bochy… so they didn’t.
Bochy is DONE !! The Giants folded BIG TIME under him after managing a surge right before the trade deadline. If players can’t be motivated to perform in the manager’s walk year, (a Manager with 3 World Series rings no less) then IT IS time for that manager to take that long walk into the sunset….
Since he lives near San Diego, why not a Bench Coach for that team?
He never could consistently beat the Padres while managing the Giants anyway !!
STFU
Netwigs it looks like your comment suggests that Bruce Bochy should be offered the bench coach job! To serve as bench coach under Tingler!!! OMG!!!
What in the world makes you think Bruce Bochy would react to that insult by saying yes. Oh since he lives in San Diego. Just stop with that nonesense! Even I am offended for Bochy by that comment.
I don’t think he wants to go back to the Padres… lol.
But we shall see… maybe if Preller and Tingler are both let go after a disappointing 2020 campaign.
Bruce Bochy will go where he wants to. It won’t be SFG who forced him out.
So the Padres hired Tingler as a one year seat warmer?
If that was it they’d have just kept your best friend Andy Green for another year. They are stuck paying him either way.
Where’d you disappear to Show Me Your Tatis? Guess that throws a little wrench into your “Bruce Bochy is retiring. He will never manage again.” idea.
He’s done. And he certainly won’t be managing the Padres again…
1. There will be more attractive openings
2. It would require them to pull an “Ausmus” with Jayce Tingler
You write like you know Bochy. Everyone else sees that you can’t admit when you’re wrong.
Cry about it.
Or that he knows the Padres ownership’s thoughts. None of us are in their room. Talking in absolutes when you’re not in any way involved with the final outcome inevitably leads to scenarios when you wind up looking stupid.
Highly possible that Preller and Tingler are canned after this season. Hiring Bochy and a new GM next year is certainly plausible should that occur. It’s a prediction either way but you’d have to be an absolute idiot to suggest there’s no chance it could happen.
He’s done, for now.
If they have another down season I could see him taking over Colorado.
Bochy very clearly stated after his retirement announcement that he decided to retire entirely on own (he and his wife) and that he never spoke to anyone in the front office before he told Farhan. He humorously hinted that he didn’t want to take the chance he wouldn’t be wanted next year.
I’m sure the interview is easily accessible. There’s a lot of negativity Farhan receives because of his ethnic background and religion masked in critisism of his baseball decision making when in fact the team improved significantly over the previous year and he stayed true to form by bringing in some really good players for nothing. I personally appreciate diversity and I would like to give the man a chance and don’t appreciate assumptions suggesting Farhan forced Bochy out.
You are the only person I have heard bring up his religon/ethnicity
He comes from a totally different way of doing things compared to Sabean and ppl don’t like change
BS. I’m a long time Giants Fan and I have been bringing up racism among Giants Fans for ages, especially on this site. Every time I post something as such I get attacked by the “classy” Giants Fans and the conversation is spun.
Not saying every Giants Fans is racist, but there’s many, a significant number that make their presence felt. It’s incredible how a team like the Atlanta Braves who plays in The South are more open to change than the Giants and their Fans.,
You sound like anything but “a long time Giant fan”
@Nuschler I have been coming onto this site for, wow, a decade at least, and I have never ever ever seen a racist comment about Zaidi. Not one. I’d blast/report whoever did and I’d remember it. I can’t stand when someone brings up racism when an article in no way-shape-or-form mentions it or insinuates the topic.
@BasesLoaded Maybe they attack you beacuse your take is terrible?
Well at least basesloaded is admitting that not ever single Giant fan has those alleged views so progress is being made
Nothing in that city screams more to me than acceptance
I can’t agree with your take less & I hate the Giants
The Giants, 49ers & Warrior fans are the worst but not racists
Do you even have any examples of that to go on ???
The Giants play in San Francisco, but their Fans extend through all California. The city itself (SF) might not be much of an issue, but you’re telling me you never been to Northern California? Oregon? The Mountains? Northern California culture / Bay area culture isn’t the same. One of my favorite bars up north had a big confederate flag next to a Giants flag. Yea.. In those remote North California areas it’s not strange to see such flags.
People attacking me and playing it like I’m saying something new are either super sheltered or the people I’m describing. A lot of those Giants Fans are basically MAGA’s. Insult others, gang up, deny, troll, repeat.
Yeah, sort of how when Giants fans threw bananas at Adam Jones
Racism could be an institutionalized thing there. 8-9 months ago, Their principal Owner Charles Johnson financed racist political ads for southern politicians
Oh, but that doesn’t count. There’s many other cases which I won’t bring up because I find it comical how these “supposed” classy fans have a short memory.
People work for people. Bochy worked for Sabean…he wasn’t working for the replacement. Bochy not working for punk Preller…the kid who doesn’t comb his hair. PADRES don’t win….Fowler fires Preller….finally….after he wasted all that $ and 5 years of our sporting life. Bochy gets the band back together…Trevor takes active role…Loretta comes back…
Padres fans::the boycott starts today. Vote with our feet. Attendance tanks….Fowler is a business man….refuse to go to Petco….and avoid those freaking brown jerseys…
I am with you hoosier. Fans on strike!