Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Belt will cheer Bruce Bochy from first base. Brandon Crawford will peer from shortstop into the dugout he’s looked into for nine years. On the mound will be Madison Bumgarner, one last time for the only big-league manager he’s ever known, who means more (much more) to Bumgarner than he could enunciate.
Sunday will be a touching moment for the longtime Giants, with history baked into every glance from the top step to the field. It will be something to behold.
And then there will be the outsiders.
Maybe Jaylin Davis will get a start, maybe he’ll be a few feet from Bochy. Perhaps Alex Dickerson will be in left field, perhaps he will be in the dugout. It will be special, sure, if a little awkward for so many late to the party. They will be saying goodbye to a legend by reputation more than a legend they know.
“I wouldn’t say it’s weird, I think it’s more interesting to see. Getting to be a part of it is pretty cool,” Davis told KNBR before the Giants lost to the Rockies, 8-5 in 16 innings, at Oracle Park on Tuesday. Davis, from North Carolina, was familiar with Bochy’s rings, but not his entire legacy. “All the wins and all, I didn’t know anything about that until I got here. It’s cool to see everything, see him get honored, it’s really cool to see.”
To Dickerson, the history is a bit more personal. The June and July star grew up in Poway, outside San Diego, and was raised a Padres fan. He remembers the 1998 World Series and “the face of the consistency of the Padres for a long time.”
He also remembers the intimidating presence at end-of-year banquets at his high school, where he overlapped with Brett Bochy. Dickerson said he didn’t officially introduce himself to the team’s most famous parent, not actually shaking his hand until he arrived in San Francisco.
“It’s definitely special. Any time a legend of the game — he’s been doing this however long — seeing all the goodbyes, it’s been an awesome experience,” said Dickerson, who’s played 51 games with Bochy as his manager. “A lot of times you don’t get to see that as a player.
“Being the manager that was the manager of my hometown team for so long when I was growing up and getting to be in the dugout for the last one, it’s one of those full-circle things. It’s pretty cool when I get to look back on it.”
To Buster Posey, he’s the only skipper he’s known for 1,256 games. For Pablo Sandoval, he’s his second father. For Davis, he’s a formidable man he first saw in person earlier this month.
“When I walked in that office, that was my first time ever meeting him,” said Davis, whose debut was Sept. 4. “It went pretty good, basically just told me to relax.”
Crawford speaks of Bochy’s calmness. Bumgarner praises the fact his manager is always a step ahead. What has Davis learned from Bochy in three weeks?
“He loves the game a lot, you can tell,” the 25-year-old said. “He’s laid back, doesn’t say much. But when he does, it’s something you need to take in, something that’s going to help you.”
