With the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series this weekend, it marks the final time Bruce Bochy is managing from the first-base dugout at Dodger Stadium as he is set to retire at the end of the 2019 season.
Bochy is someone the Dodgers are very familiar with as he has spent his entire managerial career in the National League West, starting out with the San Diego Padres from 1995-2006 and then finishing with the Giants from 2007-19.
Usually, Bochy is the enemy when he comes to Dodger Stadium wearing orange and black, but that wasn’t the case before Friday night’s game. The Dodgers have always been a classy organization and they proved that once again with a ceremony to honor Bochy’s illustrious career.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided Bochy with a signed Sandy Koufax jersey at a retirement gift as the famed left-hander was Bochy’s favorite player growing up, and Roberts shared some kind words for his good friend.
Thank you @Dodgers for joining us in honoring our Skipper. #ThankYouBoch pic.twitter.com/Vz6MmF71g5
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) September 7, 2019
Roberts played for Bochy on the Giants in 2005 and 2006 and then again on the Giants in 2007 and 2008, so the two managers have a very close relationship. He raved about how much Bochy has meant to his career both as a player and manager, and extended an invitation to join the NL coaching staff at the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.
Bochy will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he is eligible as he is nearing the 2,000-win mark after defeating the Dodgers on Friday night. He has a career record of 1,994-2,017 which isn’t all that impressive, but he has three World Series championships with the Giants to his name and four NL pennants in all.
With the Giants currently on the outside looking in on the postseason race, it does not seem that Bochy will have an opportunity to add to his trophy case in his final season despite the team holding onto a lot of their key players at the trade deadline.
In Bochy’s regular-season career against the Dodgers, he holds a winning record at 219-204. Included in that is 101-86 while he was with the Padres and an even 118-118 thus far with the Giants.
