These days, every baseball fan knows Bruce Bochy. He’s long been considered one of the game’s best managers, winning three World Series titles with the Giants and another NL pennant with the Padres. But what a lot of people don’t remember is that he played for the Astros once upon a time.
In fact, the Astros actually drafted Bochy in the first round in the 1975 draft out of Eastern Florida State College. The young catcher made his major league debut in 1978, going 2-for-3 at the plate in his first game on July 19 against the Mets at Shea Stadium.