Bruce Bochy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Bochy
Bochy in 2017
Texas Rangers – No. 15
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1955-04-16) April 16, 1955 (age 70) Bussac-Forêt, Charente-Maritime, France
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
July 19, 1978, for the Houston Astros
Last appearance
October 4, 1987, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics (through July 25, 2025)
Batting average	.239
Home runs	26
Runs batted in	93
Managerial record	2,225–2,235
Winning %	.499
Teams
As player Houston Astros (1978–1980) New York Mets (1982) San Diego Padres (1983–1987) As manager San Diego Padres (1995–2006) San Francisco Giants (2007–2019) Texas Rangers (2023–present) As coach San Diego Padres (1993–1994)
Career highlights and awards
4× World Series champion (2010, 2012, 2014, 2023) NL Manager of the Year (1996)

Bruce Douglas Bochy (born April 16, 1955) is a famous American professional baseball manager and former catcher. He is currently the manager for the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball (MLB).

During his time as a player, Bochy was a catcher for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres. After he stopped playing, Bochy became a manager. He led the Padres for 12 seasons (1995–2006) and the San Francisco Giants for 13 seasons (2007–2019).

As a manager, Bochy guided the Padres to one World Series (1998). He then led the Giants to three World Series championships (2010, 2012, 2014). In 2023, he led the Texas Rangers to their first World Series championship in his very first season with them.

Bruce Bochy is one of only three managers to win a World Series in both the National League and American League. The other two are Sparky Anderson and Tony La Russa. He is also the 11th manager in MLB history to reach 2,000 wins.

Bochy is the only former Padres player to become the team's manager for a long time. He was part of the Padres' first five trips to the postseason. He played as a backup catcher in 1984 and managed the team in 1996, 1998, 2005, and 2006. In 1998, he led the Padres to win the National League (NL) pennant. However, they lost the 1998 World Series to the New York Yankees.

Bochy reached the World Series again in 2010 as the Giants' manager. They won against the Texas Rangers, bringing San Francisco its first World Series title. This was also the Giants' first championship since 1954. Two years later, in the 2012 World Series, Bochy led the Giants to another win by sweeping the Detroit Tigers.

In 2014, he managed his third World Series championship in five years. The Giants beat the Kansas City Royals in seven games. In 2023, he came out of retirement to lead his third different team to the World Series. He is one of only seven managers in baseball history to win four or more World Series titles.

Bochy was the first manager born outside the U.S. to reach the World Series (1998). He was also the first European-born manager to win the World Series (2010). On July 23, 2013, he became the 21st manager to reach 1,500 wins. On April 10, 2017, Bochy passed Dusty Baker for the most wins in the San Francisco Giants' history. He is the only manager in MLB history to win at least 900 games with two different teams.

Early Life and College Baseball

Bruce Bochy was born in France. His father was a soldier in the U.S. Army stationed there. As a child, Bochy's family moved a lot. They lived in the Panama Canal Zone, South Carolina, and Virginia. They finally settled in Melbourne, Florida.

Bochy went to Melbourne High School. He played baseball there with Darrell Hammond, who later became famous on Saturday Night Live.

After high school, Bochy attended Brevard Community College for two years. He won a state championship in 1975. He then went on to play baseball for South Alabama.

Professional Playing Career

Becoming a Professional Player

Bruce Bochy was first drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1975 but did not sign with them. Later that year, on June 3, 1975, the Houston Astros drafted him in the first round. This time, he decided to become a professional baseball player.

Playing for the Houston Astros (1978–1980)

With the Astros, Bochy mostly played as a backup catcher. He was behind the plate in a big game in 1980. This was when Pete Rose ran him over to score a key run.

Playing for the New York Mets (1981–1982)

In 1981, Bochy was traded to the New York Mets. He played for them for two seasons. He was released by the Mets in January 1983.

Playing for the San Diego Padres (1983–1987)

Bochy signed with the San Diego Padres in February 1983. He was the backup catcher for the Padres.

In 1984, the Padres won their first NL pennant. Bochy played in one game of the 1984 World Series. The Padres lost that series to the Detroit Tigers.

On July 1, 1985, Bochy hit a "walk-off" home run against Nolan Ryan. This means his home run won the game in the last inning. It was the only walk-off home run Ryan ever allowed in his career. Bochy was also the catcher when Pete Rose got his record-breaking 4,192nd hit in 1985.

Bochy became a free agent in November 1987. He played one more season in the minor leagues in 1988. In his entire playing career, he hit .239 with 26 home runs.

Coaching and Managerial Career

Early Coaching and Minor League Management

After he stopped playing, Bochy became a coach for the San Diego Padres' minor league teams. He started managing minor league teams in 1989. He led the Short-Season Class-A Spokane Indians to a championship. In 1991, he led the High Desert Mavericks to a California League title. In 1992, he won the Texas League title with the Double-A Wichita Wranglers.

Managing the San Diego Padres (1995–2006)

In 1995, the Padres chose Bochy to be their new manager. He was 39 years old, making him the youngest manager in the National League. In his first year, the Padres' record improved.

In 1996, his second season, Bochy led the Padres to win their division. He earned the National League Manager of the Year award. In 1998, Bochy led the Padres to their best record ever, 98 wins and 64 losses. They also won the National League pennant. However, they lost the 1998 World Series to the New York Yankees.

Bochy with the Padres in 2006

After the 1998 World Series, the Padres spent less money on players. This led to five losing seasons in a row. But in 2005 and 2006, Bochy led the Padres to win their division again. They lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs both years.

Bochy left the Padres after the 2006 season. He had managed the most games in Padres history, with the most wins and losses. During his 12 seasons, the Padres had five winning seasons and won four division titles.

Managing the San Francisco Giants (2007–2019)

On October 27, 2006, Bochy became the new manager for the San Francisco Giants. On August 8, 2007, he won his 1,000th game as a manager. After two tough seasons, the Giants improved in 2009.

Bochy talks with Willie Mays and President Barack Obama at the White House in 2011.

In 2010, the Giants won their division. Bochy's Giants beat the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs. They then defeated the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series. This was the first World Series championship for San Francisco. Bochy had managed 2,574 games before winning his first World Series.

In 2012, the Giants won their division again. In the playoffs, they came back from being behind 0-2 against the Cincinnati Reds to win the series. They also came back from being down 1-3 against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the National League pennant. The Giants then swept the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers in four games. Bochy became the first National League manager to win two World Series in three years since Sparky Anderson in 1975 and 1976.

Bochy holding the Commissioner's Trophy with his wife Kim after the 2012 World Series.

Before the 2013 season, the Giants extended Bochy's contract. On July 23, 2013, Bochy reached 1,500 wins as a manager. The Giants missed the playoffs in 2013.

In 2014, Bochy reached 1,600 wins on August 27. He also became the all-time leader in managerial wins in the NL Western Division. The Giants made the playoffs as a wild-card team. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals. They then beat the Kansas City Royals in seven games to win the 2014 World Series. Bochy became the first NL manager to win three World Series in five years. He is the tenth manager in MLB history to win three championships.

Bochy presenting President Barack Obama with a baseball jersey at the White House in 2015.

On April 3, 2015, the Giants extended Bochy's contract through 2019. On June 10, 2015, Bochy got his 700th win as Giants manager. This made him the fourth manager to win at least 700 games for two different teams. On September 27, 2015, Bochy reached 1,700 wins.

In 2016, Bochy recorded his 800th win as Giants manager. The Giants made the playoffs as a wild-card team. They beat the New York Mets in the Wild Card Game. This was their 11th straight postseason series win since 2010. However, they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the next round. This was their first playoff series loss under Bochy.

On April 10, 2017, Bochy became the all-time San Francisco Giants managerial wins leader. On May 3, 2017, Bochy reached 1,800 wins. On September 25, he won his 900th game as manager of the San Francisco Giants. This made him the first manager in MLB history to win 900 games with two different teams.

On February 18, 2019, Bochy announced he would retire after the 2019 season. On June 4, he won his 1,000th game as manager of the Giants. He is only the second manager in Giants history to reach this milestone. On August 25, 2019, Bochy managed his 4,000th career game. He is only the eighth manager to manage 4,000 games. On September 18, 2019, Bochy won his 2,000th career game as a Major League manager. He is the eleventh manager to win 2,000 games. The other ten managers are all in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bochy managed his final game for the Giants on September 29, 2019. The Giants honored him in a special ceremony. He ended his Giants career with 1,052 wins and 1,054 losses in the regular season. He had a great playoff record of 36 wins and 17 losses. The Giants have not used his number 15 since he retired.

Managing the Texas Rangers (2023–present)

On October 21, 2022, the Texas Rangers hired Bochy as their new manager. He came out of retirement for this job.

Bochy managing in 2023.

On June 4, 2023, Bochy won his 2,041st career game. This moved him past Walter Alston for 10th place on the all-time managerial wins list.

On October 23, 2023, Bochy led the Texas Rangers to win the American League Championship Series. This sent the Rangers to the World Series for the third time in their history. It was also the third different MLB team Bochy had led to the World Series. Bochy led the Rangers to win the 2023 World Series title against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He became the fifth manager to win a World Series with multiple teams. He is also the sixth manager in MLB history to win four championships.

On May 15, 2025, Bochy won his 2,195th game as a manager. This moved him to sixth place on the all-time MLB managerial wins list, passing Sparky Anderson.

Managerial Record

President Joe Biden with Bochy and members of the Texas Rangers in 2024.

Personal Life

Bruce Bochy is the third of four children. His older brother, Joe, also played baseball in the minor leagues. Joe later worked as a scout for the Padres and Giants.

Bochy met his wife, Kim Seib, in college in 1975. They got married in 1978. They live in Poway, California and Nashville, Tennessee. They have two sons, Greg and Brett. Greg Bochy played minor league baseball. Bruce's younger son, Brett Bochy, was drafted by the Giants in 2010. Brett was called up to the major leagues on September 2, 2014. This made Bruce the seventh manager in MLB history to manage his own son. On September 13, 2014, Bruce was the first manager to give the ball to his son coming out of the bullpen.

Bochy is known for having a very large hat size, 8 1/8. When he played for the Houston Astros, his nickname was "Headly" because of his big head. When he joined the Mets in 1982, they had to order special helmets for him because none of theirs fit.

Bruce Bochy has had some health issues related to his heart. In 2015, he had a procedure to open a blocked blood vessel. In 2016 and 2017, he had procedures for an irregular heartbeat.

In 2011, Bochy won an award for his lifetime achievements. The baseball field at Brevard Community College was named Bruce Bochy Field in his honor. In 2015, Bochy wrote a book called A Book of Walks. It describes his favorite walks in different cities.

Bochy has shared his list of top five catchers of all time. He ranks Johnny Bench as number one. The others are Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, and Iván Rodríguez.

See also

In Spanish: Bruce Bochy para niños

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins
• List of second-generation Major League Baseball players