Bochy Leads Giants To Another Title - Gary Armida's Blog

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Bochy Leads Giants To Another Title Stuck

Posted on October 29, 2012 at 09:20 AM.

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With a Sergio Romo slider, the San Francisco Giants completed an improbable sweep of the Detroit Tigers to capture their second World Series title in the last three seasons. The final pitch was symbolic of the entire series as the it elicited no response from the Tigers; Miguel Cabrera took the pitch for strike three. While there had been five previous World Series sweeps since 1998, the Giants victory over the Tigers may have been the most complete victory in recent memory as they only trailed the Tigers for a mere two innings for the entire series.

The four game series was won on the strength of the Giants pitching staff as they allowed just six runs in four games, with games two and three being shutouts. The series was essentially a short sample on what makes the Giants go when things are right. They get just enough offense--16 runs total, but just 8 runs in their last three games--, get tremendous starting pitching, and have a versatile bullpen to close it out.

With this second title, they may be the quietest, least publicized (probable) dynasty in recent memory. Perhaps it is because they are on the West Coast. Maybe it is because they have just one real superstar on offense. Maybe it is because they are a team built on pitching. Or, maybe they are a team that is most dependent upon their manager for success. Whatever the reason, the Giants now have two titles and don�t look like they are going away anytime soon.

The fact that the Giants are once again World Series champions is somewhat astounding given their lineup. The fact that they won 94 games in the regular season is also somewhat startling. The offense ranked sixth in the National League in runs scored, which is surprisingly high for a team that had just one player slug over .500 (Posey), one player with more than 20 home runs (Posey, again), and no player score 100 runs. They ranked last in home runs. But, they ranked 4th in on base percentage and led the league in triples.

Their pitching staff, at least statistically, is just as odd. The starting rotation pitched 998.1 innings, the third highest total in the National League. Their 3.73 ERA was fifth best, while their 3.89 FIP was sixth best. They were a flyball staff that did rank fifth in strikeouts, but 11th in walks. According to WAR, they were the 10th most valuable rotation in the National League.

The bullpen was similarly odd as it ranked 8th in ERA, 15th in strikeouts, and 4th in walks. When Brian Wilson went on the disabled list, Manager Bruce Bochy employed a committee approach. Although Santiago Casilla got most of the early saves, five relievers notched at least three saves during the year before Sergio Romo settled into end of game duties.

Defensively, the Giants were even more odd. They committed 115 errors, fourth most in the National League. In terms of defensive runs saved (DRS), they were minus-7, but compiled a UZR of plus-8.6, mostly because of an outfield with outstanding range, which is wise considering they have a pitching staff that is predominantly a flyball staff.

In all, the Giants were a better than average statistical team that wasn�t elite in any one area, with the exception of hitting triples. How does a team like that win 94 games, win six elimination games, and sweep the World Series?

Bruce Bochy.

The impact of a manager can be overstated sometimes. Every manager has those moments when he makes moves that scream, �hey, I�m doing something to win a game here�. Usually, those moves are unnecessary as most of the typical managing moves are statistically unsound: most sacrifice bunts, many stolen base attempts, and many bullpen management decisions.

But, Bruce Bochy�s 2012 season is one of the biggest reasons why the Giants are a two-time World Series champion and in line for being the best team of this decade. While Bochy isn�t responsible for Buster Posey staying healthy and becoming an MVP candidate or that he had a rotation that consistently pitched deep into games, he is responsible for the Giants postseason success. Every decision he made was the correct one.

It started at the beginning of the season when closer Brian Wilson underwent season ending surgery. Instead of immediately naming a closer, Bochy cultivated a committee. As stated, Casilla got most of the chances, but Bochy mixed and matched for most of the season before settling on Sergio Romo late in the season and the post season. The lack of defined roles allowed for each reliever to work in all situations and against all types of batters, experiences that are valuable in the postseason. Looking a the Tigers for contrast, they had a defined closer who was unusable in the series. Manager Jim Leyland didn�t quite have the flexibility to mix and match his relievers as his bullpen wasn�t suited to operate like that. Because of how Bochy handled that situation, the Giants had no problem in the postseason.

Then, they lost Melky Cabrera to a drug suspension. A team that struggled to score runs was losing its second best hitter for the rest of the season. The Giants didn�t have a let down at all. They continued to win as if Cabrera wasn�t even there. Angel Pagan, Gregor Blanco, and Hunter Pence held down the outfield spots. The Giants didn�t really acknowledge that Cabrera was even on the team or that they were upset with how he left. Bochy set a tone that allowed for the Giants to move on. The decision to bar Cabrera from the postseason was his most criticized choice. Many believed that the Giants could�ve used Cabrera, if even as a pinch hitter. Bochy chose not to have him return, keeping the team that surged at the end of the season in tact. It was the right move.

It was Bochy who moved Tim Lincecum to the bullpen and made it work. For many other teams, moving a two-time Cy Young Award winner to the bullpen even after a season in which he struggled would�ve been headline news. Bochy made it work and turned Lincecum into a weapon. Lincecum would allow just 1 run in 13 relief innings this postseason with just 3 hits allowed and 17 strikeouts. His replacement, Ryan Vogelsong, was 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in postseason starts.

Bochy chose to start Barry Zito in game four of the NLCS and game one of the World Series. Zito was hit hard in the division series and after all of his negative history with the Giants, nobody would�ve questioned if Bochy chose someone else, even on short rest. But, he stuck with his southpaw who doesn�t even crack 84 MPH with his fastball. Zito responded with 7.2 scoreless innings against the Cardinals in the championship series, helping the Giants to avoid elimination. Then, he outpitched Justin Verlander in game one of the World Series.

Bochy�s decision to allow Matt Cain to pitch the seventh inning of game four was also an important one. Cain had allowed a home run to Delmon Young in the sixth and a single to Andy Dirks with two outs in the inning. He looked like he was finished after struggling to get out of the sixth. With a tie game, a 3-0 series lead, and a bullpen that was performing so well, it would�ve been easy to go to the bullpen. But, Bochy let his ace pitch the the bottom two of the Tigers order and then leadoff hitter Austin Jackson. Cain retired the three in order, which left Bochy with a full bullpen to navigate through the final three innings. He let Jeremy Affeldt pitch 1.2 innings before having Casilla get one out and Romo to finish the game. Bochy�s decision let his best three relievers finish the game. Had Cain left an inning earlier, he would�ve had to use another reliever for an inning.

And, the fact that he kept Affeldt in to face Cabrera, Fielder, and Young was also a big decision. Many managers would�ve used three pitchers in that spot, citing matchups. Bochy left the effective Affeldt in and was rewarded for going with his best pitcher for that situation. It was not the typical decision.

It was Bochy who assimilated late season additions Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence. Scutaro played well with the Giants since the day he was acquired and was a postseason hero. But, Pence struggled for the rest of the regular season. But Bochy kept him in the lineup. His patience paid off.

Players win titles. It makes it easier to have someone like Buster Posey, a player with two complete seasons on his resume and two World Series titles on it as well. It makes it easier when the pitching staff is quite talented led by one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the game. But, the Giants were not a statistically spectacular team. At times, they struggled to score runs. Their preseason ace, Tim Lincecum, was not a factor all season. Yet, the Giants won 94 games and seven consecutive playoff games. In many ways, they are overachievers. But, this is an instance where the manager makes a big difference.

Bruce Bochy made all the right decisions this postseason. His decisions and his calm demeanor are why the Giants were able to upset three consecutive teams. No manager is perfect; Bruce Bochy isn�t perfect. But, for the postseason and the majority of 2012 he was pretty close. He is a major reason why the Giants are, once again, World Series champions.

Comments

# 1 tarek @ Oct 29

Good post. Baseball is certainly a sport I am trying to learn more and more about.
The strategic elements of it, though, are second to none and you have written about them in this blog very very well. It really gives an insight into the importance of a manager and the in-game decisions that need to be made.
Congrats to the Giants. I watched the Franchise (showtime show) and really felt I got to know the team, so seeing them win another world series is pretty cool.

# 2 Stikskillz @ Oct 30

Nice write up! I agree with Bochy deserving a lot of the credit. I would also add that Sabean, Baer, and the entire front office deserve a lot of the credit as well.

Go Giants, 2012 Champions!