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Krukow reminisces on Bochy’s impact, projects who might replace him in 2020

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On Tuesday, San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow appeared on Murph & Mac to talk about Bruce Bochy’s recent retirement announcement, as well as the Giants managerial search for next season.

When looking back on Bochy’s impact on the team and the city, Krukow was effusive with his praise and gratitude.

“Its a big deal given what this guy has brought to this city, this organization, and the amount of players he has affected in a positive way; I think that’s the greatest thing,” Krukow said. “When you start analyzing a guys career, you think ‘How many lives has this guy touched in a positive way?’ And thats really what Bochy is all about. When you’re a manager, you’re going to ask people to do things they don’t want to do. That’s just the deal, but if you get a bunch of old players, especially guys who have left the game, and they get together in the same room and they start telling stories about Bochy, it’s hysterical. The stories are all positive.

“He affected a lot of people in incredible ways, and in San Francisco, it carried on out of the clubhouse and into the stands,” he said of Bochy. “He’s affected all of us that watch the game over the years in such a positive way, and he’s done it in such a humble way… If someone had the same kind of success he’s had over the years, they may put themselves up on a pedestal, but not this guy. It is an emotional time for Giants fans.”

One of the many reasons why Giants fans love Bruce Bochy is his seemingly effortless and warm demeanor when it comes to dealing with the media, and Mike Krukow is grateful to have had the chance to cover him.

“I see these football postgame interviews, and Belichick is so rude. Or when Popovich is so terse and rude; it just bothers me,” Krukow said. “You have the antithesis of those guys with Bochy. For all of us in the media, we absolutely love the guy. (Duane) Kuiper and I have been talking about this the last couple of days. It’s every day; we step into the clubhouse and he invites us in and embraces us. There’s a dialogue, and then it carries right into the batting cage. It’s just a feeling of comfort, and that’s exactly the same thing he does with the players.”

While the 2019 season for the Giants will be emotional for fans and players alike, witnessing the final season of one of the franchise’s most beloved figures, the work for front office executive Farhan Zaidi is just getting started. The search for a new manager is on, and Mike Krukow shared a couple names off the top of his head.

“Bam Bam Meulens, Ron Wotus, if you want to talk about guys within the system,” Krukow said. “They immediately pop into mind. It’ll be interesting to see what he does. Farhan went off the grid to a degree when he brought in Dave Roberts, and the one thing that Dave Roberts excels in is people skills, so whoever is going to come in is going to be a communicator. They’re going to have the ability to do what Bochy has done in the sense of touching base with everyone in the clubhouse to keep them positive.

“The managerial position is being redefined to a degree because now you go into games with scripts built on data that guys are being asked to consider and to use. I do think it’ll be more of a new age guy, but then again, there’s a couple of pretty good candidates already in the clubhouse.”

To listen to Krukow talk Bochy and more, listen from the beginning HERE: