MLB WORLD SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS RANGERS

November 1, 2023

Bruce Bochy

Chase Field

Texas Rangers

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Having been fortunate enough to be in this position three previous times, do you do anything different on the day you could clinch a World Series?

BRUCE BOCHY: I don't. I don't. I don't get caught in where we're at. And I'm being honest. We're just focused on the game tonight. The guys have done a great job of that all year. They're doing the same thing in the postseason.

We're going to focus on the task ahead of us. So that's where I'm at.

Q. This season do you think you've had much more adversity than any of the other three teams that you had that won the World Series in San Francisco?

BRUCE BOCHY: I agree with that. We started out -- Taveras went on the IL, then deGrom. I could go down the list. I think five of the All-Stars we were missing for a while. Corey for quite a length of time. Eovaldi, he went down.

So I will say I think we had to deal with more this year than any year I've ever had to manage. And that's what makes me proud of these guys, too, how they were focused on that as much as, hey, let's focus forward. And they kept doing that.

Q. What did you learn about Corey from being in the clubhouse with him this year that you didn't realize about him managing from across the field?

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I mean, I always knew what a tremendous player he is, what a big bat he is. But he's just a solid person that plays the game right, and that's playing to win. That's the only thing on his mind, doing whatever it takes to win that ball game, including everybody.

He wants everybody to play the same way, too. And he'll say something if that's not the case. I just realized what a great pro he is and a teammate. Corey has his routine like everybody, but he cares about winning.

Q. Is he ever, within the clubhouse, more exuberant or show more outward emotion than he does on the field?

BRUCE BOCHY: Yeah, he does in the clubhouse. Oh, he's funny. He's got a good sense of humor. He's loose, has fun, plays cards with the guys. He does all the things that normal teammates do.

Q. You had to maybe unexpectedly use Jose last night. How does that affect your calculus in whether or not you use him tonight?

BRUCE BOCHY: He's available. He's available. I would have preferred not to use him, but he's good. He faced a couple of hitters once we got him up and he had to get hot with what was going on.

I went and got him, put him in there. But he's good to go. Doesn't affect how I'll use him. If it's the same situation, the ninth, he'll be there.

Q. Your team defensively is among the league leaders in various metrics. Aside from talent, what makes a good defensive player?

BRUCE BOCHY: I think as much as anything, just focus. It's the concentration. A lot of times position players, we get caught into our hitting. It can affect how you play the game. These guys separate the offense from the defense so well.

Now, I do have to talk about the coaching staff, what a great job they do. They go through -- they put them through their work every day, pregame, the infielders, outfielders.

But it was something that was talked about, how important the fundamentals are. That's one thing I've said that remains in this game. You can talk about how it's changed and analytics and all these things, but you've got to catch the ball in our game. That needs to show up every day because, I've said earlier, a couple days ago here, hitting, pitching, that's not going to be there every day.

But the defense can. And that's only because you have that mindset that, hey, I'm going to help out the pitcher or I'm going to focus on catching a ball here.

Q. Marcus is three plate appearance from tying the all-time record for most in an entire season, regular and post. Can you talk about the rock he's been at lead-off and how he sort of stayed in the process and broke through last night?

BRUCE BOCHY: That's pretty incredible, really, you think about it. That's a big number. He is a rock. For me, it's never been a thought who's leading off, who's playing second base. That's a luxury to have.

But for him to be able to go out there every day and mentally get through the grind, physically get through the grind -- I'm sure there's days he hasn't felt great, but he's such a tough guy mentally.

It's been impressive how not only the fact he wants to go out there, but how he prepares every day. He doesn't let up on his routine, his ground balls, everything. He doesn't say I'm a little tired, I'm going to play, but I'm not going to do this. That's not him.

Q. When exactly, after you left the Giants, and obviously you needed a respite for a while, when exactly did you decide that you wanted to come back managing and started looking around for openings? And when you did and picked this, are you surprised that you're back here on the precipice of winning the World Series again so quickly?

BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I'll say this. Gradually, after I retired, I started missing the game. I said this in 2020 -- that was the COVID year; I didn't miss that -- I said my timing was pretty good, to be honest.

But I go back to helping the French trying to qualify for the WBC. I just did it for fun, but also to try to help them qualify. And I was in Ravensburg, Germany, in the dugout last year, last October, and I said, man, I really miss this.

But I never called anybody. I just said this is something that I love to do and I miss it.

Then when C.Y. called me to get my appetite on doing this, we talked. And long story short, I'm here. But that's kind of where it started.

Anyway, did I think I'd be sitting here in the World Series the next year? I mean, I knew that this organization was on the rise. I was getting in the right situation. They wanted to get winning baseball back to Texas.

But to imagine I'd be sitting here, no. I know how blessed I am.

Q. Did the Padres query you at some point?

BRUCE BOCHY: No. No, I was good where I was.

Q. I think when we talked about your decision to use Jankowski yesterday we talked a lot about his defense. Turns out in that game he gets a pair of two-out hits to keep rallies going, one with bases loaded. Is that emblematic what you guys relied on this year as a whole just different people in big spots?

BRUCE BOCHY: I agree, he's been solid for us with the injuries we've had to deal with. He's just done a tremendous job. Came on as one of our bench guys, an extra outfielder and playing a lot. He was a starter there for a while.

Just did a great job. He gives you defense, speed. He gives you good at-bats up there. He has good discipline at the plate. Just a solid sign for us.

We might have got a little break when Taveras when on the IL, to be honest, at the beginning of the year, because we might have lost him. But we needed him at that time, put him on the roster. And long story short, here he is playing.