Bruce Bochy will manage France’s national baseball team, SFGate’s Douglas Zimmerman reports. France will attempt to qualify for the World Baseball Classic in 2021.
Bochy, 64, was born in Bussac-Forêt, France as his dad was stationed there with the U.S. Army. Bochy said, “This is a moment in which I think of my career after the Giants. I want to stay involved and give back to baseball what it gave to me.”
Bochy “retired” after the 2019 season, his 13th season with the Giants. Along with helping the franchise win three championships (2010, ’12, ’14), Bochy led the Giants to a 1,052-1,054 record during the regular season. Prior to managing the Giants, Bochy was the Padres’ skipper, memorably at the helm of the 1998 team that won the National League pennant.
France came up short attempting to qualify for the 2013 and ’17 WBC. In 2013, France was eliminated with an 8-0 loss to Spain and a 5-2, 11-inning loss to South Africa. In 2017, France was defeated 9-2 by Panama before taking down Spain 5-3. They were ultimately eliminated with another loss to Panama by a 7-4 margin.
Zimmerman notes that Bochy’s older brother Joe will help coach the French team. Bochy’s son Brett is also eligible to play for France.
