Bruce Bochy Knows 'Frenzy' of Rangers Fans

Bochy got to see the Rangers fandom firsthand when his San Francisco Giants played Texas in the 2010 World Series.

Texas Rangers majority owner Ray Davis joked on Monday that he had a “hard time getting over 2010” when general manager Chris Young asked for his blessing to interview Bruce Bochy for the manager’s job.

Perhaps Davis was only half-joking. Bochy was, of course, the manager of the San Francisco Giants in 2010 when they beat the Rangers in five games.

The Rangers had never won a World Series, and through 2022 they still haven’t. When the Giants won in 2010, they hadn’t won a title since 1954. Bochy went on to lead the Giants to titles in 2012 and 2014.

But he referenced his experience in Arlington in 2010, during those three games at the old Rangers ballpark, right across the street from Globe Life Field.

He said he knows the passion of Rangers fans and wants to bring that back.

“I had seen that from the other side,” Bochy said. “I've seen these fans in a frenzy and how excited they were about their team and what great fans they were, you know?

"No it didn't turn out like you had hoped here in 2010. But, you know, I got to experience it. And they were wonderful, you know, they were entertained, but very respectful. They love baseball.”

Rangers management hopes Bochy can re-stoke that fire after six straight losing seasons, the longest streak in team history since moving from Washington before the 1972 season.

Bochy appears to have a soft spot for Texas for other reasons.

“I go back quite a few years, but this this is where I started my career — in this state,” he said.

Bochy broke into the Majors as a backup catcher with the Houston Astros in 1978, playing behind Alan Ashby. He remained with the Astros for three seasons, playing his home games in the legendary Astrodome and helping them win their first National League West title in 1980, the year Nolan Ryan arrived as a free agent from the California Angels.

The Astros lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series.

The Astros traded Bochy to the New York Mets in early 1981. In three seasons with the Astros, he played in 132 games, hit .239 and hit four home runs and drove in 21 runs.

He ended up playing nine seasons in the Majors, with his career ending in San Diego in 1987. He would later go on to become a coach with the Padres, and ultimately the team’s manager, leading them to the World Series in 1998.

He also said he has family in the state. So, it would seem that Bochy’s hiring with the Rangers allows him, in a way, to bookend his career — one that started in Houston and will, probably, end in Arlington.

“I've seen how excited and how much they care about their Rangers baseball so I'm excited about that,” Bochy said. “I have family here too. So that's a plus, so I get to spend more time with them.”

Bochy agreed to a three-year contract with the Rangers on Friday. He is the 20th full-time Rangers manager, but the first to come to Texas having previously led a team to a World Series title as a manager.

Bochy has a record of 2,003-2,029 with the Padres (1995-2006) and Giants (2007-19). He was the National League Manager of the Year in 1996.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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