Bruce Bochy Isn't Omar Vizquel's Type

Omar Vizquel played for Bruce Bochy for two seasons in San Francisco before Vizquel signed a deal to play for Texas this season. His final assessment of Bochy as a manager is not so great.

"I don't think Bochy was my type of manager," Vizquel said when asked about his former field boss during a discussion of managerial styles. "I always went along with his decisions. I never said anything in the paper about him, but sometimes I wished he could be more aggressive with the moves that he made. But everybody has his style, and you can't change that."

And what better time to start talking about your manager in the paper than when he's not your manager anymore?

Vizquel said he discussed his feelings with Bochy a few times and added with a laugh, "I would say that every time I was up, there was (a play) on. Maybe because I mentioned it, he wanted to (put plays on) with me more than anybody else. I was probably the only guy who got a squeeze sign three or four times. I got a lot of hit-and-runs."

Bochy doesn't remember these alleged conversations.

Bochy was taken aback by Vizquel's comments. He said he did not recall the shortstop expressing those opinions to him, "and anytime a veteran feels like that, you'd like to hear it (then), not the following year." (...)

"I think if you look at the running, the stolen-base attempts, this is a club that emphasizes that part of the game," Bochy said. "Sometimes you're able to do things and sometimes you've got to run a game the way things should be run. I think Omar could be good at (managing) it. But you're going to have to execute when you do these things and have the personnel, and that's where we're getting."

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I guess when a manager and his shortstop live in alternate universes, it's no wonder that their team can barely break 70 wins in their two seasons together. Then again, what would five extra bunts have done for a 70-win team?

Bruce Bochy Isn't Omar Vizquel's Type originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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