© Evan Habeeb | 2019 Jun 2
The Giants haven’t exactly gotten out to the start they all had hoped for this season, but it has been a historic few days for the club. Manager Bruce Bochy got his 1,000th win as Giants manager Monday night, making him the first skipper to do so since the team moved to San Francisco in 1957.
Bochy joined Murph & Mac Thursday morning to discuss the milestone, people who have helped him along the way, and a few thoughts on the current season.
“I didn’t do a lot of reflecting on the number of wins,” Bochy said. “I look at that as you know I’m lucky to be around as long as I’ve been around to get these wins. So many people have walked this journey with me.”
San Francisco’s longtime ace, Madison Bumgarner, has been present for quite a few of those wins. Murph & Mac pointed out that Bumgarner has 113 of the manager’s 1,000 wins, and that is not including the no-decisions Bum has been on the mound for. Bochy recalled what the pitcher has meant to him.
“I really admire this man, I respect him. His approach to the game, how he prepares, how hard he works, and not only what he’s done on the field but who he is too. You get to know Bum, I mean he gets the game, he understands the game. He’s a very smart man. The time you spend together you develop the relationships that I have with some of these guys. He’s like a kid to me.”
Madison Bumgarner wasn’t the only player Bochy gave recognition to.
“When I step down you know I’m going to miss my time with all these guys. The Busters, the Crawfords, Belt, Panik. All of them…I know it’s not going great here, and we still think we can get back to playing consistent winning baseball; but what they’ve done, what they’ve accomplished, and what they’ve done for me. I mean I’m still managing from what they’ve done on the field.”
As stated above, the manager still believes the Giants can turn this thing around. He noted the club needs to improve in all areas, but pitching is the most important.
“It’s going to come down to us pitching better, we have to get consistent there.”
The manager acknowledged the offense must come alive as well, but he believes it all starts with pitching. He used Wednesday night’s loss to the Mets as an example.
“I think the starting pitching sets the tone and (Tyler) Beede had a rough day. No excuse, you still got to find a way to score runs but when the pitcher goes out and deals you see a different team.”
The Giants now return back home and open a three-game series on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Bochy on the milestone, start from the beginning.
