The Padres willingness to let Bruce Bochy leave to become manager of the Giants truly defies logic. In a previous post (Padres-Bochy), I suggested that 2006 was the skipper's best season as a manager.
The Padres successfully defended their NL West title despite a myriad of obstacles, including the improvement of their rivals. Some of the issues that confronted the Padres around the All-Star break, like the releases of Vinny Castilla and Eric Young, along with the slump by closer Trevor Hoffman and a losing streak, could have torn the Friars apart. But Bochy and his staff held the team together.
I really can't believe the Padres quick exit from the NL playoffs was the cause of Sandy Alderson's indifference to Bochy's employment. That St. Louis went on to win the World Series shows what a crap shoot the playoffs really are. No one in advance could have predicted that the Cardinals would advance to a championship behind Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan.
One could surmise that the Cards championship demonstrates how this really could have been the Padres year, adding to frustration by the front office over a perceived lax attitude by the manager. But I think that's wrong.
This had to come from a long-term disagreement over larger issues, such as using younger players, who to move in the off-season and who to keep, and probably a desire by Alderson to bring in his own guy. The Padres second-half of 2005, when they collapsed following Bochy's agreement to a contract extension, may have also hurt.
Now the Giants will be the team with a leader who knows how to manage over the course of a 162-game marathon, hopefully extended by meaningful October playoffs. Couple it with a veteran-oriented franchise that understands the nature of the six-month season and the Bochy-Giants bond could be one made in heaven for Bay Area baseball fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment