Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy Understands Passions for WBC

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy doesn't fault the three Rangers playing in the World Baseball Classic.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy admits that he’s kind of glad that he’s not losing a lot of players to the World Baseball Classic.

But he has no interest in taking that experience away from them, either.

“I want them to do what they’re really passionate about,” Bochy said on Tuesday. “I think it’s good for the game. It’s great. It generates a lot of interest for the game.”

Three Rangers will participate in the WBC and will depart soon for their training camps. Martín Pérez will pitch for Venezuela. José Leclerc will pitch for the Dominican Republic. Pitching prospect Mitch Bratt will pitch for Canada.

It could have been more, as pitcher Nathan Eovaldi had committed to playing for Team USA, the defending champions. But he was left off the roster. Bochy admits he felt bad for Eovaldi for missing out on that experience.

“I know he was excited about representing his country,” Bochy said.

Adolis García also considered playing for Cuba, but eventually decided to stay in Rangers camp. 

Bochy has his own experience with the WBC. Before he took on the job with the Rangers, he was managing the French effort to qualify for the WBC.

Bochy was born in Landes de Boussac, Bussac-Forêt, France, while his father was stationed overseas as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

So Bochy has experience with it and knows the duality. He said he hates to lose the players for any length of time. But he also knows the respective coaching staffs and management are well aware that when the WBC is over, those players need to return and be ready for the season.

In that respect, he expressed no concerns about where Pérez, Leclerc and Bratt would be when they return.

“I’ve been through this before and they’ll take care of them and I think they’ll do a great job,” Bochy said. “They try to limit their workload at this time of year and their goal is just like ours which is to get them back healthy.”

The Rangers are preparing for their first Spring Training game on Friday against Kansas City.

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