'Forever grateful' Bochy brings fond memories back to SF

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning walked into the visitors clubhouse at Oracle Park on Friday afternoon and jokingly whispered: “We’re in the house that Bochy built.”

He may have been joking, but Texas manager Bruce Bochy is an iconic part of San Francisco history nonetheless.

Before coming out of retirement to manage the Rangers, Bochy led the Giants from 2007-19, leading the club to three World Series championships in 2010 (vs. Texas), '12 (vs. Detroit) and '14 (vs. Kansas City), and has the second-most wins among all managers in franchise history.

When asked about his fondest memories in San Francisco, it wasn’t a question for Bochy.

“It’s hard not to mention the World Series,” he said. “That’s what you play for. I will say the last day they had for me was really a tough day emotionally for me. Very humbling. For them to do that, this is hopefully my time to say thank you for all they did for me and my family and my great time here.”

The Giants honored Bochy with a video between innings of Friday night’s 2-1 Rangers victory, complete with a long standing ovation from the crowd at Oracle Park.

“I can't thank the Giants organization enough for what they did tonight,” Bochy said postgame. “That was really, really cool for me and the fans. I can't thank them enough. That's what I should be doing. They've been so great to me and you never know how you're going to be received when you come back. It's a little emotional. It's a big game so you want to be locked in on that but it still is pretty full and I can't thank them enough.

“It is humbling and overwhelming. A big piece of my heart is here with my 13 years that I spent here. It’s really, really special.”

For Bochy, it’s the first time he’s had to use the visitors entrance and clubhouse at Oracle Park since 2006, when he was the manager of the Padres.

“I knew which way to go,” Bochy joked. “Trust me, I know this park pretty good. I know the other way to get in here because I did that for some time, but to your point, it’s pretty cool to walk past where I lived for 13 years right across the street. A lot of good memories went through my head then.”

Throughout Rangers pregame batting practice, fans both on the field and in the stands screamed Bochy’s name. The likely future Hall of Famer caught up with former colleagues, players and media members alike in the dugout pregame.

There’s no doubt that three World Series rings made him a popular man in San Francisco.

“I’ll feel bad if I don’t see some really good friends that I plan on seeing here,” he said. “I think they understand you’re trying to get locked in. These are important games. To everybody, I love you all, but we do have some work to do. I think my friends understand that, too.”

“I’ll be excited to see Boch, for sure, and the recognition that he’ll get from the fans and everybody, that will be fun,” said Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, who played for Bochy for nine seasons.

Despite the warm welcome he’s sure to receive and the joy he feels to be back in the city, Bochy is focused on winning the series with the Rangers this weekend and leading a new franchise to a World Series.

“I’ve been here before,” Bochy said of being on the other side. “I’ve had some rough games here, too. I’ll add that. Who let the dogs out, when they had that song, we heard that a ton. It’s special to be back in this ballpark. I can’t say enough about my tremendous time here. I mean, 13 wonderful years. My wife and I had the time of our life here. I lived across the street. Those 13 years impacted me as [much as] any time in baseball. I’m forever grateful and thankful for those years. We had a lot of fun. A lot of great memories. A lot of great celebrations. It’s good to be back.”