Being Bruce Bochy a Day in the Life of a Manager Living a Dream

SportingGreen SanFrancisco Chronicle and SFChronicle.com | Sunday, September 1, 2019 | Section C xxxxx WALKOFF Bruce Bochy’s Final Season Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Being Bruce Bochy A day in the life of a manager living a dream By John Shea Editor’s note night’s game, continue communicat ing about the roster. Bruce Bochy eats his oatmeal with In this fourth in- stallment of a five- The Giants manager is sitting in a blueberries and almond butter in his part series covering leather chair in front of a window China Basin condo Tuesday morn Bruce Bochy’s final overlooking gorgeous views of the ing while texting with his boss season, the Giants manager permitted bay, harbor and ballpark. about a major roster shakeup. a Chronicle reporter The location is extremely conve This day is busier than most be and photographer to nient. When Bochy managed the cause the Giants are making six observe a day in his Padres, he drove 25 miles from the life. transactions, including the promo family home in Poway to Petco tion of Mauricio Dubon, the team’s Park, and now he’s so close to the hotshot infield prospect, and the Giants manager Bruce Bochy yard that he’ll walk across the street release of second baseman Scooter kisses his wife, on offdays to use the workout facil Gennett. The moves won’t be an Kim, in their ities. nounced until 2:30 p.m., and Bochy China Basin condo “This place is perfect,” Bochy says. and president of baseball operations before walking across King Street “I can’t imagine I made that drive Farhan Zaidi, who had discussed to work at Oracle from Poway every day.” them at Oracle Park after Monday Park. Walkoff continues on C8 YANKEES 4, A’S 3 STANFORD 17, NORTHWESTERN 7 Solo homers prove Cardinal win opener, but lose QB Oakland’s undoing By Rusty Simmons 1 Stanford soaked afternoon on The Farm, beat: Coach Shaw loved the resolve his players Stanford’s David Shaw mostly David Shaw says showed on the sideline and how that By Susan Slusser theme of the game today,” handed out B and C grades to his game plan translated onto the field. Oakland starter Homer Bai position groups after Saturday’s 177, against USC next “One of the things you want as a NEW YORK — Blake Trei ley said. “Solo shots.” seasonopening victory over North weekend won’t coach is: When things are difficult, I nen and Lou Trivino both had Matt Chapman nearly put western, but the No. 25 Cardinal did change if QB K.J. don’t have to turn into Knute Rock better outings on Saturday, a the A’s ahead in the 10th with earn one Aplus from their head Costello can’t ne. I don’t have to do all of the talk welcome development for the a drive to deep right, but the coach. play. C10 ing. The talking should come from A’s. Unfortunately for the A’s, 6foot7 Judge made the grab While nursing a 107 lead for most the players,” Shaw said. “… There DJ LeMahieu hit a walkoff at the top of the wall. “I had of the final 7½ minutes of a sun Stanfordcontinues on C10 homer in the 11th off Trivino, my hopes up,” he said, adding who was in his third inning of of Judge, “It doesn’t help the work. guy is 7 feet tall.” The bigger issue for the A’s The A’s left the bases load CAL 27, UC DAVIS 13 in their 43 loss Saturday was ed in the sixth, seventh and an inability to hit with men in eighth innings, and left two scoring position, which on in the ninth. Oakland went After sloppy half, Bears prevail reared up in four consecutive 1for10 with men in scoring innings even as Aaron Judge position and stranded 15 in tied it in the eighth with a all. By Michael Wagaman 1 Pac-12 downs, both to Kekoa Crawford. Greg shot off Joakim Soria. The “They were running some roundup: True Thomas kicked two field goals, in Yankees beat Oakland for the pretty good pitchers out Christopher Brown Jr.rushed for a freshman cluding a careerbest 47yarder,as the first time in five games this there, too,” A’s manager Bob careerhigh 197 yards and a touch quarterback Bo Bears won their third consecutive season; all of their runs Sat Melvin said. “Youleave 15 on, down in his first start, and host Cal Nix throws a opener under coach Justin Wilcox. urday came on solo homers. it comes back to bite you at overcame a sloppy first half to beat touchdown pass Cal won despite four turnovers, “That was kind of the A’scontinues on C5 UC Davis 2713 in its season opener with nine sec- including a fumble by Ashtyn Davis Saturday. onds left to give on the opening kickoff. That set up a Chase Garbersshrugged off two No. 16 Auburn a short touchdown run by Ulonzo 1 A’s beat: Sean Manaea to start Sunday against Yankees, with turnovers and completed 16 of 28 win over No. 11 Gilliam Jr. and the Aggies went up Oregon. C11 Mike Fiers’ next start moved to Tuesday. C6 passes for 238 yards and two touch Cal continues on C10 C8 | Sunday, September 1, 2019 | SFChronicle.com XXXXX SPORTS Photos by Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Giants manager Bruce Bochy kicks back in his condo near Oracle Park in the morning before a busy day of transactions and baseball in San Francisco. A day in the life of Giants’ Bochy Walkoff from page C1 managed his first game in “Hey, what’s going on?” 1989 for the Spokane Indians Bochy asks. On the Embarcadero, many of the Class A Northwest “How are ya?” the kid re hours before every Giants League. sponds. game, Bochy takes the walk They meet for four min he had never anticipated, the 12:21 p.m. utes, a short but upbeat ses walk that was too farfetched After slipping on his uni sion in which Bochy congrat to be a dream. Too unimagin form, Bochy sits behind his ulates Dubon, makes him feel able to be real. desk and reaches for his line at home and lets him know, The walk along Second up card. Longtime clubhouse “Just be ready.” Somewhere Street and across King Street. man Mike Murphy, who’s along the line, Dubon’s nick The walk over two streetcar playing Frank Sinatra tunes name is revealed. And for a tracks in front of statues of on the sound system, emerges reporter, he spells it. Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord from his nearby office. Bochy “DUBI,” he says, pro Perry below a giant promo says, “Murph, you the man. I nouncing it “Doobie.” tional poster of Madison need you to do the lineup.” Bochy says, “Dubi, that’s a Bumgarner. The walk to a Of course, Bochy does it. good name in this city.” place he never expected when Like always. He had come up 3:45 p.m. he got his first minor league with an order the night be It’s a short commute across King Street for Bochy, who often managing gig in 1989. fore, so it’s a formality. goes to the yard on offdays to use the workout facilities. Broadcaster Mike Krukow A bigleague ballpark. A Against righthander Mike walks in, asks Bochy for a manager’s office. And the Leake, Bochy’s inserting five scouting report on Dubon and final stages of a Hall of Fame lefthanded batters, including boasts that the infielder grew career. catcher Stephen Vogt over up a Giants fan. “I didn’t see myself manag struggling Buster Posey. “He knew who I was,” ing in the major leagues,” Bochy writes in Mike Yastr Krukow beamed. Bochy says from the condo in zemski at leadoff even though a King Street tower, accompa the outfielder’s wrist is sensi 3:54 p.m. nied by his wife of 41 years, tive two days after getting Groeschner reappears and Kim. “I would’ve been happy plunked. A change could be gives Bochy the latest medical staying in the minor leagues. made later. update to relay to the media. That’s how much I loved it.” The subject of analytics The MRI exam shows reliever When Kim mentions surfaces, and Bochy calls Trevor Gott has a mildly they’ve accumulated a “ton of Michael Schwartze, baseball strained right flexor tendon stuff” since moving in seven operations analyst, into his and a Grade 1 sprain of his years ago, Bruce says, “We’ll office to explain to a couple of ulnar collateral ligament. He’s look like the Clampetts driv visitors how he provides data to be shut down for two ing home.” to players and coaches that weeks but possibly could A month of regularseason aids their performance and pitch again before season’s games remain for the 64year strategy. Schwartze spends end. Johnny Cueto came out old threetime World Series entire games in a room next Bochy checks in with the team’s analytics staff, one of many of his rehab start fine and champion. When it’s over, the to Bochy’s office crunching meetings before that day’s game. “I’ll miss this,” Bochy said of will make one more before Bochys will return to Poway. the numbers.

Load more