After 25 years at the helm – including the last 13 with the Giants – Bruce Bochy’s managerial careerofficially is over. The legendary skipper retired with 2, 003 career wins and three World Series titles. He leaves behind a Giants team that finished 77 – 85 in 2019 and is ushering in a new era under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Zaidi and the rest of the Giants front office will start their search for a new manager immediately, and there’s one prominent name that just became available: Joe Maddon.
On Sunday, Maddon and the Cubs agreed to part ways after a season where the Cubs missed the playoffs for the first time since he took over as manager before the 2015 season. Maddon led the Cubs to their first World Series championship since 1908 when Chicago defeated the Indians in an epic seven-game series in 2016.
Maddon was one of the first managers to embrace the “analytics” brand of baseball and is well respected around the league. Before taking over the Cubs’ job, he led the low-payroll Rays to the playoffs four times, including the AL pennant in 2008. He owns a 1, 225 – 1, 045 career record and wants to keep going.
“I don’t want to wait,” Maddonsaid of his next managing job. “I’m ready.”
While Maddon’s impressive resume will surely earn consideration from Zaidi, the Giants likely are still a few years away from being true World Series contenders. Maddon might opt for another job that is a little closer to a “win-now” situation than San Francisco, who is waiting for prospects Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos and Marco Luciano to help create a contender two or three years down the road instead of 2020.
Furthermore, the Giants might prefer a younger manager who Zaidi can hand-pick to develop with the arc of the team. Dodgers special assistant Raul Ibañez, 47, and Angels special assistant Eric Chavez, 41, are two options that would better fit the trajectory of the team than the 65 -year old Maddon.
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Regardless of whether or not Maddon is the next skipper to patrol the Giants dugout, the retiring Bochy spoke glowingly about the job that the next manager will inherit – whomever that may be.
“You got the best job in baseball. And I mean that,” Bochy told reporters after the Giants’season-ending 9-0 lossto the Dodgers on Sunday.
“You know I talk about the owners, our front office. This city, surrounding areas. The ballpark. The fans. He’s getting the best job in baseball ”.
Tim Lincecum is a hard man to find.
Aside from freak sightings in whichLincecum is sporting frosted tips, no one has heard much from him the last few years.
But on Sunday, the former Giants ace returned to China Basin for Bruce Bochy’s final game as manager.
After the long, emotional postgame ceremony for Bochy, Lincecum offered some insight into what he’s been up to.
“I’m trying to transition,” Lincecum told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Amy Gutierrez. “I think the hardest part was coming to grips with who I was after baseball, and I haven’t even done it fully yet. I haven’t formally retired. I’m not sure if I’m going to or not. , with that, I’m just trying to find my way, going through a little bit of family stuff a few years ago, so that put perspective on things. Yeah, I’m just trying to find my way. “
Lincecum’s presence at Oracle Parkon Sunday became public knowledge before the game started. He was in a luxury suite with 2010 World Series hero Brian Wilson. But no one knew if Lincecum would be part of the postgame festivities or if he would speak to anyone.
In the end, Lincecum was the last player to enter through center field and hereceived one of the loudest ovationsof the day.
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It was an unforgettable day for Giants fans. They said goodbye to their beloved manager, but they got to see all of their favorite former players in one place.
Hopefully for Lincecum, the reception he got on Sunday will help him find a bit of closure.
SAN FRANCISCO – There were so many newcomers to take the field for the Giants on Sunday. Bruce Bochy, in his final game, put three rookies and two second-year players in the starting lineup and sent out plenty more during a9-0 loss to the Dodgers.
But the familiarity, that #ForeverGiant thing, all came rushing back after the final pitch. Wave after wave of former Giants walked through the center field gates. Almost all of them at some point won a championship with Bochy. And almost all of them at some point won with Buster Posey, too.
“That was really cool. I haven’t seen a lot of those guys in a long time,” Posey said. “It was great to see them and I wish I had more time to spend with them. Hopefully with it being 2020 coming up we’ll get to see more of them at some point this year. “
The Giants hoped to send Bochy out with a win, or at least better baseball. But at the very least, they did things right after the game. The ceremony was emotional and funny, hitting all the right notes. EvenTim Lincecum was there, and he had a brief reunion with Posey, who said they keep in touch but had not seen each other in a couple of years.
What stood out most to Posey was the look on Bochy’s face throughout, and the cracks in his voice as he gave a long speech thatthanked all the right people.
“Seeing Boch get emotional throughout the day definitely made it hit home,” Posey said. “Seeing him talk a lot – I had never really seen him get emotional before, so obviously this was a big day for him, to say the least.”
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This wasn’t all about holding back tears, though. Bochy used eight pitchers on his final day and five pinch-hitters, including Madison Bumgarner. He yelled at the home plate umpire about one early missed call and came out a couple of innings later to argue another decision. That was enjoyed in the dugout.
“Even today he was fiery and cranky,” Posey said, smiling. “That’s the reason he’s been around as long as he has and he’s won as much as he has.”
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