How a love for the game -- and France? -- pulled Bochy back in

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry's Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- When Bruce Bochy recalls why he unretired ahead of the 2023 season, he thinks back to his French national team in ’20 and then again in ’22.

Born in Bussac-Forêt, France, with a military father, Bochy was trying to help France qualify for the World Baseball Classic. The qualifier was originally scheduled for 2020 but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bochy returned to manage the club in ’22, when it was rescheduled.

“I thought it would be perfect,” Bochy said about managing the team. “It would make the transition a little bit easier. So, baseball’s not completely out of your life. I did it, and I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun with those kids, man. They’d go through a wall for you, and we actually were pretty good.”

It was a fun thing at first, helping to grow the game internationally and trying to get a European team qualified.

Then, it hit.

“I got back in the dugout, and so I said, ‘No man, I miss this,’” Bochy recalled. “But I didn't call anybody [trying to get a job]. I missed it, and that's natural, I think. Of course, then CY called, and you guys know that story.”

Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young pried Bochy from his retirement in October 2022, and the likely future Hall of Fame manager led Texas to its first World Series championship the next fall.

Entering his third Spring Training with the club and his 28th as a manager overall, Bochy gets the same feeling of excitement at the beginning of every season.

“Flying into Arizona, I haven't lost that feeling, how excited you get to get back, get back on the field, see the guys and just be around them,” Bochy said. “It’s so beautiful. When I came back after retiring for three years, you just realize how much you miss it. That gratitude meter shoots way up. You're grateful, and you realize you're blessed to be doing what you love to do.”

Bochy has reiterated many times that if he wasn’t enjoying himself, he wouldn’t be in Surprise running yet another camp. That’s how much he loves the game.

“If that somehow starts to go away, believe me, I'll know it,” Bochy said. “But this is where I want to be. This is where I'm happy. It couldn't have worked out better. We've talked about my situation, believe me. Right now, I want to get this thing back to where we were last year, and that's back to the postseason.”

Bochy’s contract goes through the 2025 season. He’s shown no signs of wanting to hang it up again, but at 69 years old, he’s the second-oldest manager in the big leagues. (Angels manager Ron Washington is the oldest, at 72. Braves manager Brian Snitker is also 69, but he is six months and one day younger than Bochy.)

“I think about it constantly,” Young said. “I think, more than anything, it’s not just what [Bochy] means to our team, but I love working with him. Truly, I enjoy showing up to the ballpark every day, and going to his office and having conversations with him, and talking about life, baseball [and] the team. We laugh every single day. I couldn't have a better relationship with Boch. I also want to be respectful to him in terms of what the future looks like.

“That's his decision. If Boch wants to be back, he will be back. If he's had enough, then we're going to get him an office upstairs and let him come sit by me and hang out and still have those laughs that we share, just in a different environment. I think he's the perfect manager for our team this season. I'm really excited about the roster that we have for him, and I'm excited to see him and our staff -- which I think is very talented -- go out and get the best out of these guys.”

Young made it sound like it’s Bochy’s decision. Seems like Bochy wants to stay.

“I did the retirement thing. I enjoyed it the first year, but I missed the game.”