The inevitable Sabean and Bochy extensions

The progression of reactions to Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy-related extension news.

2007
Rage. Measured, calm rage at times, but rage all the same.

2009
Pure rage. Blind, vengeful rage. The rage of fans who tasted what it was like to have half of a great team.

2011
Okay, whatever. Take whatever you want. Here's the key. Do whatever you feel like for next two decades. You've earned it. But we're still suspicious of you, dammit.

2013?
Okay.

Bochy and Sabean are apparently a package deal now, as this will likely be the third time in a row that the two will have their contracts extended together. When the news comes, you will not be surprised. There will be no spit-takes. Your coffee mug will not drop to the floor and shatter as you realize the true meaning of what you just learned.

You will say, "Okay."

And in 2015, when the two are extended again, you will say, "Okay."

In 2017, you will think about it for five seconds, but because you were completely expecting it, you will say, "Okay."

In 2045, you will say, "I disagreed with the decision to sign Skance Bumgarner for seven years, and both Bochy and Sabean are, like, 100 now, but okay."

This is because Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean will be employed by the Giants until they choose not to be. Think about it. The Giants were willing to extend Sabean in 2007 on the same day the Giants dropped to 38-49 (with Matt Cain moving to 3-10 on the season!), en route to their third-straight under-.500 season. They extended Sabean before they had to in the Dark Ages. Two championships elevates him to wearing-a-kilt-with-nothing-underneath-around-the-office levels of invulnerability.

And Bochy? He followed Felipe Alou, who was a good Giant with an amazing legacy, but an absolutely dreadful manager. Bochy was going to look like Casey Stengel with a couple of .500 finishes. Instead, he skippered two championship teams. Now he can walk up to you -- yes, you -- punch you in the face, and he won't come close to seeing a trial in the Bay Area. I don't know, man, it was probably something you said, don't go crying to the cops .

Bochy and Sabean have leveled up. The normal rules don't apply to them anymore. Every two years, there will be rumblings about extensions. And every two years, you'll say, "Okay," because you'll expect the news.

That isn't to say that they'll always stay with the Giants, mind you. Sometimes people want a new challenge, and sometimes people move around because they know it's time. Joe Torre managed the Dodgers after the Yankees, even though it was completely bizarre to see him in another uniform. The Padres used to have the same manager for years and years, and then he left to go to a division rival and win multiple championships.

But until they want to leave, they're going to stay around. Just so you aren't surprised. All of those promotions to the people in the front office? A precursor to a Sabean/Bochy extension.

As far as my opinions on the dual extensions, well, let's wait until they happen. But you'd have to be pretty cynical to be really upset about this. I absolutely think there was some good fortune involved with the Giants' success-- you couldn't recreate the organization's run of first-round drafting success if you had a Game Genie, for example -- but the Giants are in the middle of an amazing run, and they're still relatively young. If you minimize and deflect the contributions of Bochy and Sabean in that success, you're probably the type to never admit you were wrong about anything.

Gimme the e-mail address of your spouse or significant other, and I'll check on that. Even better, an ex. We really need to get to the core of your curmudgeon heart.

It's okay to be tired of the same GM, especially when his philosophies don't align perfectly with your own. It's okay to get annoyed with on-field moves and veteran fetishes of a manager. But right now, getting upset about Bochy and Sabean sticking around is a good way to get laughed at by other people.