Samardzija on Bochy: “He’s just a dying breed. Unfortunately after this you’re going to have 30 puppets out there.” pic.twitter.com/hMoVynyusn
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 19, 2019
A number of Giants players spoke to the media for the first time on Tuesday, since Monday’s news that 2019 would be Bruce Bochy’s last as the club’s manager.
That group included starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who wasn’t shy about making clear how unique he believes Bochy is when compared to other managers around the league.
“He lets the players run the team,” Samardzija said to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s just a dying breed, you know? Unfortunately after this you’re going to have 30 puppets out there giving you cliche answers and it’s a shame, because Bochy isn’t that. He’s a person. He’s got great stories, he’s a motivator, and on top of all that, he loves his (young players). He doesn’t just look at them as pieces, he looks at them as people, and he really appreciates the work you do.”
Samardzija said that Bochy’s handling of the 2016 season, which ended after San Francisco’s bullpen gave up a three-run lead to the Cubs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS.
“A lot of guys, take (2016) for example, the way he handled 2016 was unbelievable. And being there, and being one of the guys that didn’t have a good run at it at the end of the year, to see the way he approaches it, that’s what it’s all about.”
The Giants haven’t exactly thrived for the majority of Samardzija’s time in San Francisco, something that makes his comments about Bochy as a manager even more significant. It also doesn’t serve as a ringing endorsement for the other managers Samardizja has played for throughout his 11-year career with the Cubs, A’s, and White Sox.