SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–As Bruce Bochy prepares for his 24th season as a Major League manager, the Giants are rewarding him by restoring a tool that went missing from his box.
Amidst a frustrating 98-loss season, a manager with Hall of Fame credentials didn’t have the capability of fixing leaks at the back end of games. Throughout the Giants’ run to three World Series titles, Bochy could defend a one-run lead, keep a tie-game all-square or guarantee his team an opportunity to come back by digging into his toolbox and reaching for a left-hander.
Whether he tabbed Jeremy Affeldt, a workhorse and model of consistency, or Javier Lopez, one of baseball’s most efficient specialists, Bochy’s bullpen was flush with the instruments needed to carve out victories.