I know many Giants fans are livid about these moves, but this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Also, retaining Bochy and Sabean is the right move. Bow-tie Bill Neukom got it right.
Let's start with Bruce Bochy:
Simply put, if it weren't for Jim Tracy and the red-hot Colorado Rockies, Bochy would perhaps be the frontrunner to win the National League Manager of the Year. He's turned around a team that lost 90 games last year to a team that was in the thick of the pennant race for 156 games and will win almost 90 games. Turnarounds like this are unprecedented, considering the Giants didn't make big splashes in free agency and trades this past offseason. There's no denying it: the Giants put out a pathetic lineup all season, yet Bochy mixed the lineup based on matchups effectively. In many ways, Charlie Manuel in Philadelphia and Tony La Russa in St. Louis have much easier jobs because they have the luxury of writing in the same lineup card every game. Sure, he relies on his veterans, but this team needed its veterans to play well in order to succeed. It's obvious that the players like playing for Bochy. After 3 years, all of the pitchers were griping about Felipe Alou's game management, but none of that banter has come from this Giants team. He tenure in San Diego indicates that he has a proven track record of success (he took the 1998 Padres to the World Series) and he deserves the chance to manage winning baseball in San Francisco.
Now to Brian Sabean:
Sabean's foibles are easy to point out, from the AJ Pierzynski trade, the Rowand signing, and the Renteria signing (I'm not pinning Zito's contract on Sabean; that was all Peter Magowan). However, Sabean before the dark years of 2005-08 built teams that averaged 92 wins from 1997-2004, and it's certainly not his fault that the Giants blew the World Series in 2002. He was entrusted with this rebuilding process last year and it's way ahead of schedule. No one expected this team to be 86-73 so far. He's put together a young, dynamic pitching staff that is the envy of Major League Baseball. He has also made some very astute signings the past couple of years. Bengie Molina, for $5 million a year, has been one of the best offensive catchers in the National League since donning a Giants uniform. He signed Jeremy Affeldt and Affeldt was one of the best relievers in the game. He also picked up Brandon Medders and Justin Miller off the scrap heap and both were very valuable this year. As far as position players, he signed Juan Uribe and Andres Torres for nothing, and this team would not have been in the race without both, especially Uribe. With the likes of Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Nick Noonan, Thomas Neal, Dan Runzler, etc, he's drafted well and restocked the Giants farm system. He deserves to be at the helm as all of this young talent blossoms in the big leagues.
Congratulations to Rich Aurilia! Thank you Richie for a great career and for being a great Giant! We'll miss you!
