Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy returns to San Francisco for the first time this weekend as the Rangers play a three-game series against the Giants.
Bochy managed the Giants for 13 years, leading the team to three World Series titles, including one against the Rangers, in his second stint as a Major League manager.
“A lot of great memories have gone through my head,” Bochy told the media as his team played in Oakland earlier this week. “I have a lot of thank yous for everybody that played a part in my life here and made it such a wonderful 13 years. They’ve been so good to me, all the fans and friends here.”
The weekend trip will be the second time Bochy faces one of his former teams this season. The Rangers played the Padres, who Bochy managed from 1995 through 2006, in a three-game series in San Diego at the end of July and were swept by Bochy’s former squad.
“We just played in San Diego and it was great, so I can’t imagine what San Francisco’s going to be with three rings [won]. I have memories of going and watching him manage,” Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, who is a Bay Area native, told the Associated Press. “Those teams saved baseball in San Francisco. Once Barry [Bonds] left, there was kind of a little lull. With those teams, the fan base now is unbelievable.”
Bochy retired from managing after the 2019 season, but Texas convinced him to return to the diamond this offseason.
“Their vision and commitment to putting together a club that can contend and win year in and year out is impressive, and I became convinced I wanted to be a part of that,” Bochy said when the Rangers hired him. “If I was going to return to managing, it had to be the right situation. I strongly believe that to be the case with the Rangers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Bochy’s experience has paid off, as the Rangers have led the American League West for most of the season and enter Friday with a 2.5-game lead over the Houston Astros. He is one of 11 managers with at least 2,000 career wins, passing Hall-of-Famer Walter Alston for 10th place with his 2,041st win on June 3 against the Seattle Mariners.
The Rangers (68-47) and the Giants (62-53) begin their weekend series at 9:15 p.m. CT on Friday.