Talking to the manager Bruce Bochy is when you realize just how special this team is. He says “Everyday I can’t wait for the game to start—I really start living after the first pitch is thrown.” He has a fun loving attitude toward the game, yet serious and focused when he needs to be. “I love being able to control the field, knowing the decision I make could completely affect the outcome of the game” he said. “You know as a player I could never steal a base—but now as a manager I have the power to do just that!” he comically added. We were curious about who the leaders of the team are in the clubhouse—away from the limelight and the fans—and figured there was no one better to ask than the head honcho. Bochy said, “Hunter Pence is very inspiring and is not afraid to stand up and talk to the younger guys in the locker room. And then there are the usual leaders Posey, Cain, Bumgarner—those guys are wise beyond their years.” Listening to Bochy, we really got the sense that he loves his job and his players. Perhaps one of the reasons for their great success in recent years, is the orange and black’s steady and intelligent captain on the bench.
In the end, the players say it best. “Every time you come out here you see 42,000 people,” said Pagan. “You gotta have a deep team, always there for each other,” says Pence. “We’re a very unselfish group,” says Romo. “We feel like family,” says Sandoval. The Giants are an extraordinary team, who always seem to rally when they need to, a true testament to the great dedication, skill and management— this is the team that never ceases to amaze.