Cubs interested in Bruce Bochy

[SouthSideRyan]

Does anyone remember who Bochy worked for as a coach before they came over from Diego to manage the Cubs? He was well thought of, had done something with little payroll, and was "young" and "energetic".

 

Not saying, just saying.

 

As an aside getting to talk to J.R. about hitting was an interesting discussion. Preached the line drive. Drive the ball with backspin and you could hit them out all day.

 

Riggleman did nothing with little payroll.

[Laura]

Dave van Dyck / The Tribune[/url]"] It has appeared Piniella is the front-runner, but Bochy's possible availability has slowed that talk. One source said the Cubs were hedging a decision until they checked further into the Bochy situation, citing Hendry's reported effort to interview Bochy in 2002 before settling on Dusty Baker.

 

Adding further to the new scenario Thursday was a report on foxsports.com that the Padres would grant permission for Bochy to talk with other clubs, even though his team just won back-to-back National League West titles and he has a year remaining on his contract at $1.9 million. Bochy, 51, has a .494 winning percentage in 12 seasons.

 

The report could not be confirmed. It is not even known if another club has contacted the Padres because Bochy's most logical landing place would be with the Cubs. And sources insist the Cubs had not contacted the Padres as of Thursday evening.

 

Other managerial openings exist in Texas, San Francisco and Washington, which has interviewed Girardi twice and may be getting ready to make him an offer.

 

"We have had consistent discussions with Washington," Girardi's agent, Steve Mandell, said. "I am not going to comment on anything beyond that."

 

The Giants have interviewed Piniella and Brenly, although they do not appear close to making a final decision. Piniella is expected to scratch his name from the Giants' list soon, leaving the Cubs—or continued TV work—as his only choices.

 

Piniella, 63, has told intimates he would like the Cubs job, although it is known that at least two close friends have been trying to dissuade him from taking it because the team is so far from winning.

 

So Piniella was the shoo-in for a whole 24 hours.

 

I can get behind Bochy as long as he doesn't cost much in the way of talent. Everyone on the list so far will cost money, and, since it's not my money, I'm not going to waste much time worrying about who's cheapest. There's nothing exciting about Bochy. That could be a good thing. Padres fans don't care much one way or another whether he sticks around. Bochy batting Bellhorn in the playoffs really seems to have ticked them off.

 

I wonder who Piniella's "close friends" who are trying to dissuade him are? I'd bet Brennaman is one, though I hope for his sake (as I would for anyone's) that Piniella doesn't really consider him a "close friend."

 

It sort of seems Girardi is toast as far as the Cubs job.

[C.C.]

Anyone here catch enough of the Padres games to get a feel for Bochy? Kind of scares me a bit if Padres fans aren't fond of him. Does he appreciate OBP?

[CuseCubFan69]

I don't know why he wouldn't consider the Cubs job. He's underappreciated in San Diego. The fans want him gone.

 

I've been upset with San Diego for not opening up the wallets for more talent and I'm not even a Padres fan. Imagine how Boch must feel watching ownership put it all in their wallet. Look at San Diego's attendance in that fancy new, high priced stadium to know they are doing quite well.

 

Yet, Bochy goes out and wins divisions with very little to work with.

 

Send him our way. They can have Dusty.

 

So if SD Boches this up and the Cubs might take advantage? Interesting.

[RynoRules]

Dave van Dyck / The Tribune[/url]"] It has appeared Piniella is the front-runner, but Bochy's possible availability has slowed that talk. One source said the Cubs were hedging a decision until they checked further into the Bochy situation, citing Hendry's reported effort to interview Bochy in 2002 before settling on Dusty Baker.

 

Adding further to the new scenario Thursday was a report on foxsports.com that the Padres would grant permission for Bochy to talk with other clubs, even though his team just won back-to-back National League West titles and he has a year remaining on his contract at $1.9 million. Bochy, 51, has a .494 winning percentage in 12 seasons.

 

The report could not be confirmed. It is not even known if another club has contacted the Padres because Bochy's most logical landing place would be with the Cubs. And sources insist the Cubs had not contacted the Padres as of Thursday evening.

 

Other managerial openings exist in Texas, San Francisco and Washington, which has interviewed Girardi twice and may be getting ready to make him an offer.

 

"We have had consistent discussions with Washington," Girardi's agent, Steve Mandell, said. "I am not going to comment on anything beyond that."

 

The Giants have interviewed Piniella and Brenly, although they do not appear close to making a final decision. Piniella is expected to scratch his name from the Giants' list soon, leaving the Cubs—or continued TV work—as his only choices.

 

Piniella, 63, has told intimates he would like the Cubs job, although it is known that at least two close friends have been trying to dissuade him from taking it because the team is so far from winning.

 

So Piniella was the shoo-in for a whole 24 hours.

 

I can get behind Bochy as long as he doesn't cost much in the way of talent. Everyone on the list so far will cost money, and, since it's not my money, I'm not going to waste much time worrying about who's cheapest. There's nothing exciting about Bochy. That could be a good thing. Padres fans don't care much one way or another whether he sticks around. Bochy batting Bellhorn in the playoffs really seems to have ticked them off.

 

I wonder who Piniella's "close friends" who are trying to dissuade him are? I'd bet Brennaman is one, though I hope for his sake (as I would for anyone's) that Piniella doesn't really consider him a "close friend."

 

It sort of seems Girardi is toast as far as the Cubs job.

 

Bochy couldn't get as much as Dusty, could he? That would be quite a raise. I want him to be here very badly - if it costs a a draft pick, that's fine with me.

 

Piniella's friends who say we aren't close to winning may have a point, BTW.

 

I guess I'd be surprised if Joe lands in Wash, but it also tells you who is in charge in Chicago, if the reports re upper management's affinity for him are to be believed.

[C.C.]

I just can't get past this Blurb from earlier in this thread:

 

If I were the Padres' GM, I might not even let manager Bruce Bochy on the plane home, because you'll rarely see as bad an in-game managerial job as the performance we just saw. Bochy went into this NLDS with the superior team and home-field advantage and, with the help of some ineptitude from a few of his hitters, managed the Padres out of the playoffs.

[RynoRules]

I just can't get past this Blurb from earlier in this thread:

 

If I were the Padres' GM, I might not even let manager Bruce Bochy on the plane home, because you'll rarely see as bad an in-game managerial job as the performance we just saw. Bochy went into this NLDS with the superior team and home-field advantage and, with the help of some ineptitude from a few of his hitters, managed the Padres out of the playoffs.

 

I am not sure how the Padres are superior to the Cards. The Padres don't have anyone who plays even close to Pujols' level. Yes, they have Giles and Piazza, but that would mean a lot more if this were 2001, but it isn't. Rolen might be better than any of the Padres' hitters, and Edmonds, when healthy, is even with Giles, IMO.

 

Peavy-Wells-Young is nice, but is it that much better than Carpenter(easily the best starter in the series)-Suppan-Weaver? Probably not when you consider that Carpenter is a cut above all of them.

 

You want to argue that they are closely matched? OK, I'll buy that. But the notion that SD is "superior" to STL is ridiculous.

 

And could someone clue me into how Bochy "managed" them out of the series?

[biittner77]

And could someone clue me into how Bochy "managed" them out of the series?

 

He told the players in his lineup that they didn't really need to score runs.

[Scott G. F.]

For more incite on Bochy go to the "Gas light baseball" blog.

 

It seems that for the most part Bochy will be missed. He's good on pitchers and catchers. The only bad thing discussed what that players don't improve under him.

 

 

Other then that there is not much on this dude. Does he know about OBP? Who knows?

 

He is another laid back guy from California so consider what happend to the last one of those we had.

 

I honestly don't know what to say.

 

Piniella would be fun. Like crazy wild fun.

Girardi would be a grass roots type fun.

Bochy would be a "I didn't have a cavity" trip from the dentist type fun.

Brenly would be cool since he's witnessed the last couple years.

 

All good guys all would do the job well. IF they had the players to play for them.

[badger1679666666]

Anyone here catch enough of the Padres games to get a feel for Bochy? Kind of scares me a bit if Padres fans aren't fond of him. Does he appreciate OBP?

 

I've heard that he does.

[C.C.]

GROTA chime in with a interview from a Padres blog:

He is not a particularly good in-game manager (there are some who would say I'm being too kind in that assessment). He leans more toward the small-ball style, though that may be as much a function of his home park as anything. His pinch-hitting choices will drive you crazy sometimes, as he won't always send the best option up to the plate. He'll also call the hit-and-run just to "shake things up" on occasion, regardless of whether it makes sense to do so. Strategy isn't his strength.

 

http://www.goatriders.org/archives/2006/10/chicago_cubs_manager_bruce_bochy.html

 

 

Alrighty then....

[Scott G. F.]

GROTA chime in with a interview from a Padres blog:

He is not a particularly good in-game manager (there are some who would say I'm being too kind in that assessment). He leans more toward the small-ball style, though that may be as much a function of his home park as anything. His pinch-hitting choices will drive you crazy sometimes, as he won't always send the best option up to the plate. He'll also call the hit-and-run just to "shake things up" on occasion, regardless of whether it makes sense to do so. Strategy isn't his strength.

 

http://www.goatriders.org/archives/2006/10/chicago_cubs_manager_bruce_bochy.html

 

 

Alrighty then....

 

 

That's unfair. You always here about the one time so and so pinch hit, brought in or did pull a player. You alway here the bad moves. I'm betting that all managers considered for the Cubs will make mistakes.

 

You will not find the perfect manager!!!!

 

So sign Girardi and and shut up already!!

[ToupeeOnFire]

One of the things I've noticed is that beyond NSBB, Bochy would be an extremely unpopular choice. You've got a group of fans that are Girardi people and a group of fans who are Piniella people (and I'm sure there is overlap, lots of people from either group that wouldn't be too upset if the other got hired), but Bochy? If there is a group for him. you could fit them inside a thimble.

 

I mean, I can just hear Jay Mariotti sharpening up his keyboard:

 

The Tribsters, faced with a monumental decision as to who would become the face of Cubdom, could have made a statement that they were tired of the status quo. Approaching the 100th anniversary of Cub futility, it was an opportunity for McMarketer McDonough to finally shed the lovable loser label and come up with a winner, a leader of men who would not tolerate the stinky stink losing culture that so infects this moribund organization.

Behind door number one you had wunderkind manager, Joe Girardi, an up-and-comer who did magnificent things in Florida and was a natural fit for a franchise that often seems more concerned with image than it does with winning. Behind door number two, you had firebrand Lou Piniella (my choice for manager), a proud man with a World Series ring who was won 90 or more games with three different teams, a man for whom losing is a dirty word, a man who could have turned around this sad sack organization through sheer force of will.

Faced with the most important decision in the history of the franchise, there was no way Jim Hendry and the Tribsters could screw this one up, could they? Surely, faced with two well-qualified candidates that fell into their lap, the keys to Cubdom had to go to the right man, right?

Say hello to Bruce Bochy, consolation prize. The latest in a long line of sacrificial lambs that will be chewed up and spit out by an operation that turns managers into shredded wheat. The Tribsters finally had a chance to make a statement with a bold move, instead they went with Mr. Milktoast.

How typical. How sad. How Cub.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Making the popular choice isn't always the best choice. I'm pretty sure when Baker was hired, he was the popular choice.

[Deeg]

I lived in SD for six years and saw dozens of Padres games live, and countless others on TV. Most of this criticism of Bochy is pure BS - he's a very sharp baseball guy who gets a lot out of mediocre talent. He'll bunt occasionally, hit and run sometimes, and play for the big inning when its appropriate. He's a moderate - not a devotee of any rigid managerial style.

 

And as for the OBP question - anyone who plans to use Brian Giles as his leadoff hitter (as Bochy has said he will next year) clearly apprecaites OBP. Can you imagine Baker or Piniella even considering it?

[ToupeeOnFire]

Making the popular choice isn't always the best choice. I'm pretty sure when Baker was hired, he was the popular choice.

Oh, I agree and I think Bochy would be a good hire. It's just that he is not as "sexy" as the other candidates. Over on ChicagoSports.com they have a poll accompanying the Bochy story and only 7.8% think the Cubs should hire him, compared to 74.9% 'nay' votes. I really hope Hendry doesn't consider Q rating as a criteria in hiring managers - and I don't think he will - but I expect some bellyaching if he goes with Bochy.

[C.C.]

I lived in SD for six years and saw dozens of Padres games live, and countless others on TV. Most of this criticism of Bochy is pure BS - he's a very sharp baseball guy who gets a lot out of mediocre talent. He'll bunt occasionally, hit and run sometimes, and play for the big inning when its appropriate. He's a moderate - not a devotee of any rigid managerial style.

 

And as for the OBP question - anyone who plans to use Brian Giles as his leadoff hitter (as Bochy has said he will next year) clearly apprecaites OBP. Can you imagine Baker or Piniella even considering it?

 

Thanks that eases my mind a bit.

[NCCubFan]

Oh, I agree and I think Bochy would be a good hire. It's just that he is not as "sexy" as the other candidates. Over on ChicagoSports.com they have a poll accompanying the Bochy story and only 7.8% think the Cubs should hire him, compared to 74.9% 'nay' votes. I really hope Hendry doesn't consider Q rating as a criteria in hiring managers - and I don't think he will - but I expect some bellyaching if he goes with Bochy.

I'll gladly take that bellyaching as long as it comes along with winning. :D

[CUBZ99]

Tim Flannery on Sports Central just said Bochy is a great baseball guy like Dusty Baker. :pukel:

[KurtEvans]

Well, as one of the guys at Goat Riders who has written and read a lot about these candidates, I can only come to one conclusion:

 

Unless the manager or GM is a part of a defending World Championship team, he's going to be disliked or criticized by at least a third - and probably as much as half - of the fan base.

 

There are some guys who have a generally good reputation, like Torre or Beane, and I'm sure that even THEY have their detractors. Therefore, we have to take some of these criticisms with a grain of salt.

 

Me, I would still sooner run a nail through my foot than see Lou Piniella manage the team, but otherwise I'm open to all of them. Bochy would be a very interesting choice, so would Girardi. Hell, even Brenly would be better than Lou.

 

Therefore, to sum it all up: nobody really knows what they are talking about, it's all guess-work until that final, championship game is played.

[CUBZ99]

Well, as one of the guys at Goat Riders who has written and read a lot about these candidates, I can only come to one conclusion:

 

Unless the manager or GM is a part of a defending World Championship team, he's going to be disliked or criticized by at least a third - and probably as much as half - of the fan base.

 

There are some guys who have a generally good reputation, like Torre or Beane, and I'm sure that even THEY have their detractors. Therefore, we have to take some of these criticisms with a grain of salt.

 

Me, I would still sooner run a nail through my foot than see Lou Piniella manage the team, but otherwise I'm open to all of them. Bochy would be a very interesting choice, so would Girardi. Hell, even Brenly would be better than Lou.

 

Therefore, to sum it all up: nobody really knows what they are talking about, it's all guess-work until that final, championship game is played.

 

Yes, it would be horrible for the Cubs to have a manager that has actually won the World Series or that would hold his team accountable. A sub .500 coach is just not going to do it for a team that needs to win in the near future.

 

If you listened to the interview on WGN tonight with Tim Flannery, you would have heard that he likened Bochy to Baker as being a real baseball guy. He also said that they are similar in that they will never talk bad about a player in the media or get down on a player when the team is losing.

 

Piniella is the only choice the Cubs have at any sort of credibility. He is the only coach out of the ones available that has proven that he can lead a good team to a World Series championship.

[Deeg]

Tim Flannery is a giant horse's ass. His credibility is about the same as Hawk Harrelson's.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

GROTA chime in with a interview from a Padres blog:

He is not a particularly good in-game manager (there are some who would say I'm being too kind in that assessment). He leans more toward the small-ball style, though that may be as much a function of his home park as anything. His pinch-hitting choices will drive you crazy sometimes, as he won't always send the best option up to the plate. He'll also call the hit-and-run just to "shake things up" on occasion, regardless of whether it makes sense to do so. Strategy isn't his strength.

 

http://www.goatriders.org/archives/2006/10/chicago_cubs_manager_bruce_bochy.html

 

 

Alrighty then....

 

The PH thing is a fair criticism, but hit-and-run/small-ball comment is a bit puzzling.

[ToupeeOnFire]

Looks like I called it:

 

But according to several sources, Hendry's superiors quickly shot down the idea of pursuing Bochy -- a well-respected manager who has little sex appeal in Chicago.

 

He lacks sex appeal.

 

(Make your own joke.)

[UK1679666180]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-061013rogers,1,106019.column?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

Those who support Bochy, also have Phil Rogers in their corner.