Hunter Pence calls playing for Bruce Bochy with Giants ‘a real honor'

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For seven years, Hunter Pence served as the Giants' emotional leader. There were the speeches, the hustle, the diving plays, and the celebrations. 

Behind all that was the man that inspired him every day, Giants manager Bruce Bochy. 

"His ability to inspire and to rally the troops and his timing of what to say when you least expect it and give you a new perspective of looking at things, it's second to none," Pence said Tuesday on MLB Network. "He changes the room when he walks in."

Bochy announced on Monday that the 2019 season will be his last as a MLB manager. Pence is now with the Rangers, but he couldn't help but talk about what makes the Giants' skipper a future Hall of Famer

"There's a lot more to it than meets the eye," Pence said. "Bochy is just a master of timing and it was a real honor to get to play for him for as many years as I did and get to know him on the level that I did. The National League, that's a chess game. Matchups and timing with the bullpen and all that, that's clock work for him." 

The bond between Bochy and Pence was clear when the Giants celebrated the outfielder after his final game with the team. The usually cool and collected manager couldn't help but get emotional. 

"His leadership, motivation and competitive spirit helped lead us to two championships," Bochy said. "Hunter, I can't thank you enough for what you've done for this ballclub. You're an inspiration to all of us. His positive energy and love for this game has left its mark in San Francisco." 

[RELATED: Bruce Bochy recounts his favorite memories from tenure as Giants manager]

Bochy and the Giants will see Pence when they face the Rangers in spring training on March 2, and it's sure to get just as emotional for this duo in the desert.

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