San Francisco Giants: End-of-Season Award Chances

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Manager of the Year

Jul 24, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) walks back to the dugout after visiting the mound during the seventh inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at AT&T Park. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Oakland Athletics 9-3. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Bochy‘s name always pops up in the discussion for the Manager of the Year Award — and for good reason. Bochy is respected as one of the best — if not the best — manager in the game. In fact, according to a survey conducted by ESPN.com earlier this season, Bochy is the league’s best overall manager, is the best at handling a pitching staff and using the entire 25-man roster, and is the best leader.

For those reasons, Bochy deserves to be in consideration for Manager of the Year just about every season. Although he has not won a Manager of the Year Award with San Francisco (he won one in 1996 with the San Diego Padres), he finished third in the voting in 201o, 2012, and 2014.

Although the Giants are currently out of a playoff spot, Bochy deserves praise. Despite injuries to Hunter Pence, Norichika Aoki, Matt Cain, and Jake Peavy — just to name a few — San Francisco has stayed afloat and has plenty of time to make up ground on both the Dodgers for the division title and the Cubs for a Wild Card spot.

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Bochy has dealt with a shaky rotation and bullpen and continues to find answers to problems many previously thought unfixable. Take the Giants’ problems at the hot corner, for example. If it was known that Casey McGehee would hit .213 and struggle defensively at third base, many would be guilty of writing the Giants off. With the departure of Pablo Sandoval and McGehee’s struggles, there simply would not be any options left, leaving a gigantic hole in the middle of San Francisco’s lineup.

However, Bochy magically found a solution — and not just a short-term fix. Inserting Duffy into the starting lineup via third base not only solved the Giants’ current problem, but also provided San Francisco with a long-term answer.

The decision to give Duffy a shot as an every-day player was not a difficult one, though. In fact, he had been playing so well in a limited capacity while McGehee grounded into double play after double play, he forced Bochy’s hand.

Giving Duffy a shot when his back was against the wall surely was not Bochy’s toughest or most awe-inspiring decision as a manager, but promoting that same kid from Double-A in the middle of a pennant race during the 2014 season certainly is a decision worthy of praise.

Joe Maddon of the Cubs, Mike Matheny of the Cardinals, and Terry Collins of the New York Mets may all be more deserving than Bochy, but no vote can disprove the fact that Bochy has been, and will continue to be, one of the best managers the game of baseball has seen.

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