SAN DIEGO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy recorded his 1,906th managerial win Sunday, moving him into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time win list, although he didn't actually manage the game. He had a good excuse, though -- he was attending the Hall of Fame induction for his longtime friend, Trevor Hoffman.
Bochy, who managed Hoffman for 12 seasons in San Diego, embarked on a 24-hour cross-country trip from California to Cooperstown, N.Y., and back. He left San Francisco on a red-eye flight to Chicago on Sunday morning, caught a separate flight to Albany and drove 90 minutes to Cooperstown. He had just enough time for a quick shower before heading to the ceremony, but had plenty of time to attend Hoffman's celebratory dinner after, featuring about 50 of the newly minted Hall of Famer's family and friends.
That was about all he had time for, though. Bochy took an early-morning flight from Albany to Atlanta and arrived in San Diego around 11 a.m. PT before heading to Petco Park for the first of a two-game series against the Padres. Being there for Hoffman was well worth it.
"It was a special moment, it really was," Bochy said. "I was thrilled when he was voted in and I was thrilled I was able to attend the ceremony. I could go on and on about what Trevor means to me, not just the body of work he did as a closer, but the person. That's why it was really special to be there, because he means so much to me.
"I knew that if he got voted in, that would be the ceremony I was going to try to make," he said.
Bochy's run with Hoffman spanned 12 years, with the Padres winning the division three times and capturing the National League pennant in 1998. In that time, Hoffman posted 457 saves with a 2.58 ERA and was named to the NL All-Star team five times. Their relationship is so treasured that Bochy was the introduction video to Hoffman's speech, but neither of them knew until it started playing.
"For me, it was an honor," he said. "This is the ultimate milestone you reach in our game, it's a big part of it."