Bruce Bochy Pens Farewell Letter to Giants Fans After Departing as Manager

Bruce Bochy wrote a letter to San Francisco Giants fans after wrapping up his farewell season as an MLB manager.

"To be honest, the depth of love this community has for the Giants probably surprised me more than anything else when I took the job," he said. "I often saw it from the opposing dugout but you can't really know it until you experience it here, up close and personal. Every day, I'd step onto the field and see all three decks filled with people in orange and black, in panda hats, giraffe hats, and fake beards. You were loud and rowdy. You were fanatical. And you were fiercely loyal."

Bochy also reflected on interactions he had with Giants fans he had away from Oracle Park:

"After 40 years in this game, I am absolutely certain there was not, and is not, a better fan base than the one I was fortunate enough to enjoy here for thirteen years. When we won the 2010 World Series, people came up to me in grocery stores and restaurants to tell me how much the championship meant to their mother or even their grandmother, how long they'd been waiting, how happy they were. To know that our team brought joy to the community also brought joy to our players and me because that's what we play for. Without you, there is no baseball, no business, no television or talk radio, and no opportunity to compete."

Bochy spent 13 seasons in charge of the Giants. His 1,052 wins are second only to John McGraw (2,583) in franchise history. He also guided San Francisco to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Prior to that, the team had been without a championship since moving to the Bay Area in 1958.

Bochy's impact on the Giants was evident in his farewell ceremony after the team's 9-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday to wrap up the regular season. A number of former players, including Barry Bonds and Tim Lincecum, were on hand to give him a proper send-off.

The 64-year-old announced in February he'd be stepping down, which allowed him to savor the sights and sounds of the 2019 campaign.

Prior to arriving in San Francisco, Bochy managed the San Diego Padres for 12 seasons. The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reported Sept. 21 the Padres were considering Bochy as a candidate to replace Andy Green. He declined to comment when asked if he'd be open to a return to San Diego.

Regardless of whether he continues managing, a trip to Cooperstown, New York, almost certainly beckons for Bochy in the future.