Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Padres - Add Bochy

Nothing new on the Bruce Bochy front today, aside from the newspaper reporting that the man himself said he had no interviews lined up.

I actually think Bochy had his best season as a Padres manager in 2006. Think of it: his lineup couldn't hit worth a darn at home, his ace starting pitcher had a bad year, he rarely had a full five-man rotation, two starters were in their 40s, he never had a third baseman, his right-fielder never remotely played up to his contract, his shortstop continued to lag offensively and he, too, missed significant time with injuries. And the Padres won the NL West because of the way he employed his bullpen and his bench, and kept the team focused on the task at hand.

The Padres became NL playoff favorites because of pitching, but only Chris Young and Woody Williams were consistently effective late in the season.

Indeed, Bochy should be NL Manager of the Year. Won't be, but should be.

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