SAN FRANCISCO - The brass behind two of the past three World Series titles plans to stick together for at least another four seasons.
The San Francisco Giants extended the contracts of General Manager Brian Sabean and Manager Bruce Bochy through the 2016 season Thursday night, bringing even more stability to a franchise that has counted on continuity during its recent run of success. Both had previous deals set to expire after this summer.
“The glory days of the franchise are now,” Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer said before the opener of the Bay Bridge Series against the Oakland Athletics began at AT&T Park. “I think it’s important to acknowledge that and pay tribute to the people who have done it, from the general manager’s office to the manager’s office, to getus where we are now.”
San Francisco has come a long way the past three years.
In 2010, the Giants made an improbable run to the franchise’s first title since 1954 - and first since moving fromNew York in 1958 - when Sabean assembled a collection of self-described “misfits and castoffs.” Bochy blended the talent together perfectly, beating the Texas Rangers in five games that fall.
Last season, San Francisco won the NL West well before the final day of the season but took a far more perilous path through the playoffs. The Giants overcame a 2-0 series deficit to beat the Reds three consecutive games in Cincinnati, rallied from a 3-1 hole against St. Louis to capture the NL pennant and swept the Detroit Tigers to seal another World Series crown.
The cohesion between Bochy and Sabean has been apparent all along. The two are starkly different personalities - Bochy always “calm and cool,” Sabean “fiery and emotional,” as both men described the other - but have become friends on and off the field to form one of baseball’s top front-office tandems.
“We’ve been collaborative, and I really believe that’s the reason we’ve had success,” Sabean said.
Both men credited the close living quarters for furthering their relationship. They live in separate condos in a high-rise building across the street from AT&T Park during the season, and it’s not uncommon to see them walking together with their families before and after games, or even just a random afternoon.
“It makes the task of managing a little less daunting when you have the support that I get,” Bochy said. “We’ve been through a lot together, the ups and downs, he was always there.”
Sabean hired Bochy, now 57, away from the rival SanDiego Padres in 2007 to replace Felipe Alou. But there wasn’t immediate success and both men received harsh criticism along the way for moves they made and those they didn’t.
Sports, Pages 19 on 03/29/2013