When Bruce Bochy retired from his gig as the San Francisco Giants manager after the 2019 season, there were rumors and speculation that he’d jump back into managing with a different ballclub. But despite those rumors — and despite Bochy never really shutting down the idea that he might manage again — nothing ever came to fruition, and nothing ever seemed close to happening, either.
Perhaps that’s changing. On Friday, hours before the Los Angeles Dodgers got to losing a playoff game (is that tidbit relevant? No. Did it feel good to write it, even though the Giants missed the playoffs? Yes.), it was reported that Bochy met with Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. The Rangers do not currently have a manager.
Bruce Bochy met yesterday with Rangers GM Chris Young, sources tell @TheAthletic. The Rangers are in the process of hiring a manager.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 14, 2022
It’s not clear what type of meeting it was. Was it a job interview? Was it Young trying to convince Bochy out of retirement? Was it neither?
This doesn’t answer those questions, but it’s worth noting that Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that Bochy is the “frontrunner” for the position.
It’s not hard to see why. Bochy has 25 years as a manager (including 13 with San Francisco), has won a Manager of the Year award, and led the Giants to three world championships. He has the veteran experience and steady hand that the Rangers are likely looking for as they try to recover from a season in which they finished 26 games below .500 ... despite starting the year with splashing acquisitions in the form of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.
Bochy isn’t exactly a modern manager, but then again, the Rangers aren’t exactly a modern team. Either way, it would be poignant seeing him back in the dugout.
Baseball’s better with Boch. But seeing him in another uniform sure would be difficult.
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