San Francisco Giants: 5 keys to success in 2020

A Good Replacement for Bochy

Whoever replaces the retiring Bruce Bochy will have some big shoes to fill.

Taking over for a man who led the team to three World Series titles is going to be a tall order for the Giants next bench boss.

Whoever the front office selects, that person should not try to be Bruce Bochy. They should be someone who is comfortable being themselves and who can cultivate that same laid-back championship culture that Bochy was able to craft so successfully.

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The demeanor of a coach can rub off on his players. Bochy’s ability to remain calm no matter the situation trickled down to the players, and that’s a big reason why the Giants were able to perform so well in high-stress postseason games during his tenure.

We’ve seen that work the opposite way with someone like Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers. His bombastic and dramatic nature rubbed off on his players who, to his credit, loved playing for him, but were also prone to displaying arrogance or taunting other players.

The next coach should have Bochy’s demeanor—laid-back and calm. Bochy didn’t have to get the team riled up when their backs were against the wall. That’s was the job of veteran leaders like Hunter Pence.

Maybe Pence would even be a good candidate to replace Bochy. Why not?

Looking ahead to 2020, if the Giants can focus on the five areas highlighted here, they stand a chance at contending, or at the very least improving.