Before he won three World Series Championships as the manager of the San Francisco Giants, Bruce Bochy navigated the minor and major leagues as a player. He took lessons learned from behind home plate – as a catcher – and turned them into a successful post-playing career.
Now with over 20 years of management experience, on top of his almost 15 years as a player, Bochy continues to surprise the baseball world with his continual evolution. But how did he progress from catching in the minors to coaching and winning three World Series with his team? Continue reading to learn about the managerial journey of Bruce Bochy.
Catching Success
Bochy – born in Landes Bussac, France – attended school at Eastern Florida State College where he garnered interest from both the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros. The Houston Astros drafted him in the first round of the 1975 MLB June Draft secondary phase with the 23rd overall pick. He would matriculate through the Astros farm system, playing with Covington, Columbus, Dubuque, and Cocoa before receiving a majors call-up.
He would spend three years in the majors with the Houston Astros, before heading to the New York Mets organization. It would be a one-year stint in their farm system before he’d get a chance at a major league start for the Metropolitans. In fact, Bochy only played 17 games for the Mets, which prompted a move to San Diego to play for the Padres. Over five seasons, he would play more than 200 games for the Padres. After a final year in the minors (1988), Bochy hung up his helmet and looked toward a career in coaching.
Managerial Maestro
Bochy would stay with the Padres organization, going out to coach several of their minor league teams, before ultimately receiving the chance to manage in the big leagues. He took over the Padres in 1995, and just a year later, earned National League Manager of the Year honors. Bochy would only lead the Padres to four postseason appearances during his 12 seasons in charge. He did manage the Padres in a World Series in 1998, losing to the New York Yankees, after having bested the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros in the National League Championship and Division series.
In 2007, Bochy made the move up north to the San Francisco Giants. In four seasons, he would take his side to the World Series – and win. The Giants’ run in 2010 started an on-and-off series of World Series appearances that resulted in the G-Men making it to and winning the World Series every other year from 2010 to 2014. Bochy can happily claim three World Series victories – 2010 over the Texas Rangers, 2012 over the Detroit Tigers, and 2014 over the Kansas City Royals – on his resume now.
Ready for Another One
Given the recent drought after a period of immense success, San Francisco Giants fans are thankful for Bochy’s past achievements but are ready to see him bring another World Series title to the Bay area. Whether you appreciate him more as a player or manager, get the same officially licensed MLB merchandise and apparel Bochy wears at Fanatics.com.
