Giants manager Bruce Bochy waved farewell for the final time to Wrigley Field, a place he almost called home.
Before the Cubs’ 1-0 win against the Giants on Thursday, Bochy was honored at home plate with a piece of Wrigley Field scoreboard. He was joined by team president Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon and bench coach Mark Loretta and received a standing ovation.
“What a nice gesture,” said Bochy, who announced his plans to retire after this season at spring training. “These moments are special so me, they really are. I’ll miss coming here such a great atmosphere. Not so great in this series for us, but really, really nice. And it’s a nice moment to have.
“I know it’s coming to an end. I’m not really thinking about it because these games are so important, but when something like that happens, it does make you reflect a little bit.”
More than a decade ago, the Cubs almost hired Bochy as their manager. After Dusty Baker was fired in 2006, the Cubs narrowed their pool of candidates down to Bochy and Lou Piniella. The Cubs ultimately hired the latter before the 2007 season.
It’s hard to imagine how different Bochy’s career would’ve looked like if he managed on the North Side. But not getting the Cubs job set him up for the success he had with the Giants, where he won three World Series.
Bochy’s pending retirement will mark the end of an era.
He’s one of the last of his kind — a so-called “players’ coach” — as modern baseball has turned into a more data-driven game.
Both Chicago managers have similar managing styles to Bochy’s.
In fact, White Sox manager Rick Renteria recently got heated after he was questioned about his decision-making when it comes to his batting lineup. He defended his decisions, saying he relies more on his instincts than analytics.
“I’m not going to appeal to the sabermetrician on a daily basis. Never will. Never want to. Not my intent,” Renteria said Wednesday. “If they don’t like it, I don’t really give a s---.”
Maddon also worries about the future of the game. But he’s hopeful that the native instincts of a major-league manager will be appreciated more moving forward.
“A lot of our game is feel,” he said. “I want to believe that it’ll eventually be analyzed to the point where it’s going to be recognized that yes, that person can make a difference.”
Bully for Yu
One year ago, Cubs starter Yu Darvish was shut down for the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury. But on Thursday, Darvish was shutting up an outspoken TV personality.
David Kaplan, who hosts NBC Sports Chicago’s Cubs’ pregame and postgame shows, criticized Darvish on Twitter calling him “too predictable” after he gave up three home runs off the same pitch in Wednesday’s win.
Darvish defended his pitch decisions and corrected Kaplan’s incorrect stats regarding his season.
“You can’t win agains (sic) Cubs database,” Darvish tweeted.
On a roll
The Cubs, who haven’t lost a game in the last week, have stayed hot a home, winning 16 of their last 19 games at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs are in sole possession of first place in their division. They host the National League wild-card-leading Nationals for a three-game series starting Friday.
