Brad Miller on Bruce Bochy Managing Rangers: 'It Speaks Volumes'
Brad Miller has seen a lot in his 10 years of Major League Baseball.
He played for managers like Eric Wedge and Lloyd McClendon in Seattle, Kevin Cash in Tampa Bay, Craig Counsell in Milwaukee, Terry Francona in Cleveland, Gabe Kapler and Joe Girardi in Philadelphia, Mike Shildt in St. Louis and Chris Woodward in Texas.
But he knows there isn’t a manager quite like Bruce Bochy, who takes over the Rangers this season.
“It’s been great,” Miller said recently. “Getting to know Boch, getting to know (associate manager Will Venable), getting to see (pitching coach) Mike Maddux. The pitching staff is going to be invaluable. It’s amazing anytime someone with Bruce’s track record, you know a future Hall of Famer, getting him to believe in this project and kind of come out of retirement it speaks volumes.”
Miller has played for two World Series-winning managers in Francona and Girardi. So he’s working to get a feel for what Bochy brings to the table.
But, for the Rangers as an organization, he brings instant credibility.
Bochy agreed to a three-year contract with the Rangers in October. He is the 20th full-time Rangers manager, but the first to come to the club having previously led a team to a World Series title as a manager.
Bochy has a record of 2,003-2,029 as a manager with the San Diego Padres (1995-2006) and San Francisco Giants (2007-19). He was the National League manager of the year in 1996.
He had his most significant success with the Giants, leading the team to World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. The 2010 title came at the expense of the Rangers, who were making their first World Series appearance.
After stepping aside as manager of the Giants, he remained with the organization as a special advisor and became the manager of the French national team.
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