"I want to stay involved and give back to Baseball," Bochy added after being announced by the French Baseball & Softball Federation (FFBS) on Monday as the manager of the French Baseball National Team for next year's World Baseball Classic Qualifier.
Bochy is a renowned Major League Baseball manager having ended his tenure with the San Francisco Giants in 2019, after 13 seasons. Three-time winner of the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 with the Giants, Bochy was named National League Manager of the Year in 1996, when he led the San Diego Padres to their second division title, with a 91-71 record. Bochy is only one of eleven managers in MLB history with more than 2,000 wins. In his 25 seasons as a Major League skipper, he collected 2,003 wins and 2,029 losses, for a .497% winning percentage.
Bochy was born in Landes de Bussac, France, when his father was stationed in a US Army base. He was both the first foreign-born manager to reach the World Series (1998) and the first European-born manager to win the World Series (2010).
“I’ve been thinking a while about what’s next in my life after managing the Giants. I want to stay involved and give back to Baseball. Managing France is a perfect example of how I can help develop the game. I was born in France, my son is eligible to play, my brother will help me in the dugout so the Bochy’s will be on deck to give a boost to French Baseball,” said the new manager of French National Team.
“We are proud to name Bruce Bochy as manager of the French National Baseball Team for the 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier,” said Didier Seminet, President of the FFBS. “Born in Landes de Bussac, Bruce has a special connection to France. We are deeply honoured and thrilled that he is willing to take this opportunity to help the development of French Baseball.
"The game has been consistently growing over the last 10 years in France and we think Bruce can help the French National Baseball Team enter a new dimension by qualifying for the World Baseball Classic.”
The World Baseball Classic will be played in 2021 at a location due to be announced soon.
