Texas Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy 'Blessed' To Know Legend Willie Mays

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy got to know Willie Mays well while managing the San Francisco Giants.

Aug 11, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Former San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays speaks at the ceremony to retire the number 25 of his godson, Barry Bonds, before a Major League Baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Giants at AT&T Park. / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Bochy knew Willie Mays almost as if they were teammates.

When Bochy took over as the manager of the San Francisco Giants before the 2007 season, he took the opportunity to talk to the legendary Giants center fielder as many times as he could.

Even after the Texas Rangers manager left the Giants’ dugout after the 2019 season, he joined Mays in the front office as a special assistant. He left that post after taking the Rangers job in October of 2022.

While Bochy was managing the Rangers on Tuesday night, the baseball world learned that Mays had passed away at 93 years old. He was the oldest living Hall of Famer when he died. That mantle now falls to former Chicago White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio.

On Wednesday, Bochy was asked about his friend’s passing.

Bruce Bochy with some great words about the great Willie Mays 🥹
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“I was blessed to have 13 years of that was some great times with him almost every day,” Bochy said. “He was there in spring training every day (at) the ballpark. He showed up every day. He loved the players, he loved the game and he was still very much involved in his office, right across from me. So you know (to) sit there and be able to spend some time with him, I mean what a joy that was for me.”

Just two weeks ago the Giants were in Arlington to face the Rangers in a three-game series. Just like the Rangers’ visit to San Francisco last year, there were plenty of reunions for Bochy and opportunities to talk about his time in the Bay Area.

During the Rangers-Giants series, Bochy talked about one his first meetings with Mays at 2007 spring training.

“My first day of spring training he walks in with a dozen baseballs, signed, and said, ‘You’re probably gonna need these,” Bochy said. “That was such a great gesture because the last thing you want to do is go ask him for baseballs.”

Mays was one of a handful of players to bat .300 or better for his career (.301), hit at least 500 home runs (660) and have at least 3,000 hits (3,293). Mays was a 24-time All-Star, a two-time National League MVP, the NL Rookie of the Year, a 12-time Gold Glove winner.