Bruce Bochy Stamps Hall of Fame Ballot With 4th World Series Title, 1st For Texas Rangers
PHOENIX — Bruce Bochy has said it over and over. He didn't come out of his three-year retirement filled with hunting, fishing, and relaxing with grandchildren to just manage again.
He wanted to win again.
Bochy, 68, got right to it. He won his fourth World Series title Wednesday night in his first season with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win the franchise's first title since beginning in Washington D.C. in 1961. They've been in Arlington since 1972. Bochy was 17 years old.
"It's special. I'm not going to lie. It's special to come here in my first year with a team that was determined to play winning baseball and had never won a championship," Bochy said. "But as far as me, that's a byproduct of what those guys did out there and what the front office did. I was along for the ride, trust me. I was very fortunate and blessed to be able to get back into baseball in this type of a situation."
He's the first manager in history to lead three different teams to the World Series and only the sixth to win four titles.
It was 13 years ago to the day that Bochy led the San Francisco Giants to a Game 5 World Series-clinching win over the Rangers in Arlington. It was the Giants' first World Series championship in their 54 years since moving to San Francisco from New York.
Bochy is the sixth manager in history to win four World Series titles.
Most World Series championships for a manager:
- Casey Stengel: 7
- Joe McCarthy: 7
- Connie Mack: 5
- Bruce Bochy: 4
- Walter Alston: 4
- Joe Torre: 4
"It's really overwhelming because of what those men accomplished," Bochy said. "You know that you're benefitting from so many people, wells dug by others. And for me, to get into this situation, again, [I'm] very fortunate. But to mention those names, I never thought in my wildest dreams when I started managing that I'd be in this position."
Bochy is the first manager to win a World Series for and against the same franchise.
You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.
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