Bochy on future: This is ‘certainly not the way I want to go out'

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SAN FRANCISCO — The scene became a familiar one, played out over and over again during the course of one of the most disappointing seasons in MLB history. The Giants would do something bad — hit into a double play to end a threat, give up a three-run homer, let a harmless fly ball drop in the outfield, you name it — and the cameras would pan to the top step of the dugout. 

Manager Bruce Bochy often looked like he couldn’t believe what he was watching. During a loss to the Padres, he gave some signs to a coach and then waved his hands, as if to say, “Oh, what does it matter?” When the Giants were losing to the A’s one night, he was shown sitting completely still, hands at his hips, seemingly shocked by what he was watching. At the end of one inning against the Braves, he rubbed a hand through his hair, tugged his cap back on, and folded into a sleeping pose on the dugout rail. 

Those are scenes that make you wonder if this is still fun. Throw in several health scares over the past couple of years and it’s easy to wonder how much longer a man headed to the Hall of Fame can handle managing this type of baseball. But don’t think about it for long, Bochy said this week. His three-year extension goes through 2019 and those close to him believe there’s no chance he doesn’t see that through. For now, during an interview for this week’s Giants Insider Podcast, Bochy said his focus is on bouncing back in 2018.  

“As we go into 2018, I know this is what I want to do,” he said. “Now, I might change my mind after that year or (my bosses) may change their minds. And you never know when it’s going to hit you, when enough is enough, but at this stage it’s certainly not the way I want to go out. I want to leave the Giants organization better than when I came here and I want to get this team back on track. This is my passion.”

Bochy, who turned 62 in April, recently became the first manager to win 900 games for two organizations. It’s a resume that’s almost unmatched, and while he intends to keep adding to it, he acknowledged that he could feel different next September. 

“It’s hard to say, and sometimes you don’t have a say. I understand that,” he said. “There’s the old joke they may retire me for health reasons because they’re sick and tired of me, which I get. But at the same time, this is what I want to do and I’m looking forward to — after this year — getting ready for spring training.”

The Giants have plenty of holes to fill, and Bochy talked about that during our discussion. He also gave his thoughts on what made Matt Cain special, the future of his outfield, the need to inject some power into this lineup, and much more. You can stream the entire conversation here or listen to it on iTunes here. 

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