Open Letter to Bruce Bochy

Before reading this post, watch the video right above. Now that you're done watching that video, I need to apologize to Bruce Bochy. And I need to apologize for a lot of things.

Dear Bruce Bochy,

You don't know me. My name is Keith and I've been a Giants fan since I can remember. My dad took me to my first Giants game when I was a kid when the team featured Bonds, Matt Williams, and Rod Beck. I remember sitting in the family pavilion in right field of Candlestick Park. I remember getting lost in a bathroom at Candlestick. I remember a home run ball sailing through my dad's hands in right field and landing a couple of rows back. The Giants have brought me great joy and pain.

So now that you know my history with the Giants, let me first say I'm sorry Bruce. I'm sorry for calling your firing multiple times. I'm sorry for comparing you to the Swedish chef from the Muppet's. I'm sorry for questioning your lineups, how you handled the bullpen, and for pinch hitting certain players. I'm sorry for doubting you at all.

From here on out, I'm going to try my hardest to never criticize or make fun of you again. I will never criticize you again because you have taken the Giants to the playoffs.

Bruce, you don't realize how far this team had fallen. After the disheartening loss to the Florida Marlins in the 03 NLDS, the Giants have been a joke. They were plagued by the Steroid scandal, thrown under the bus by the Mitchell report, slogged through the remaining Bonds days for he could break the home run record as a Giant (Which was very awkward looking back), and finally decided to rebuild. Okay so you were hear for the remaining Bonds days and the rebuilding. You know how bad things were in 2007, when the Giants only hope was Matt Cain and rookie Tim Lincecum. Now the Giants are looking back at the bad times and are laughing because they are in the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

They're back in the playoffs because of your leadership Bruce. You never let this team quit on the season, when they could have long ago. You were brilliant this year managing this team. The Giants were inconsistent all year long. When they're hitting was hot, the pitching was cold. When the pitching was hot, the hitting was cold. You handled ever situation with grace and your hard work was paid off with a division crown. But you're managing went deeper than that.

This team has some odd characters and that's being nice. It didn't matter because you let them be themselves. You're not Joe Torre or Joe Giradi demanding a facial hair and length of hair policy. You let these guys have their comfort zone and let them be characters. This is the funnest Giants team I've ever watched because of their characters. That's all on you, Bruce. You let Giants fans enjoy more than baseball players, you let us enjoy the complex natures of Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Sergio Romo, and Pablo Sandoval. For that I thank you.

I also enjoyed how you managed the alleged clubhouse "cancer's." Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and Jose Guillen had burned bridges with other clubs. They were "cancer's" that no one else wanted and somehow they worked with the Giants (Not Jose Guillen. He may not be a "cancer" but he sucks something awful on the field.) all because of you Bruce. You let these guys be themselves and they gave you no trouble.

You have not just managed baseball games, but you managed out-sized personalities beautifully. When Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria were benched we never heard them complain once, this might speak to the high character of Rowand and Renteria more than you, but still you managed their veteran ego's. Rowand and Renteria might have pouted and demanded trades as soon as they were benched if they played for any other manager besides you.

You also did one hell of a job managing the bullpen. This bullpen is so good, that there isn't enough innings for these guys to pitch. You still managed a way to find ways to make every single reliever affective. Also guys like Guillermo Mota and Santiago Castilla have been launching pads in the past, but somehow they were effective all year long.

This team is in the playoffs because of you Bruce and for that I thank you. I thank you for taking this team to the playoffs for letting the players expose their personalities to the fans. This Giants fan is very pleased with you today, Bruce. Job well done.

Sincerely,
Keith Deaner