00:00Our interview with Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bocci.
00:18Good afternoon, sir.
00:19Good afternoon.
00:20How are we doing?
00:21We're doing all right.
00:22Doing all right.
00:23I'm curious.
00:24Can you give us an evolution of managers talking to umpires because it feels like you used
00:29to be able to argue with an umpire a lot more.
00:31Now it feels like they'll just kick you out straight away.
00:34Well, that's, you know, when you're talking balls, balls and strikes, uh, it's automatic.
00:40So you know why that, uh, why he's had so, so many calls go against him on those, uh,
00:49and they're somewhat close calls, but they're balls and, uh, you know, he does a good job
00:52of laying off.
00:53He doesn't get rewarded and it's a big situation.
00:56And, uh, but anyway, uh, you know, you're getting thrown out at that point when you
01:01walk out there.
01:02Do you, have you had a conversation with Wyatt about like, Hey, we appreciate that at bad.
01:07We know you've been getting some bad luck with the umps.
01:10Does that conversation take place at all?
01:13Uh, yeah, there's, there's been, uh, conversations about that, uh, with him, but you know, he
01:19knows what it is.
01:20Uh, he's a man, he gets it.
01:21Uh, you know, sometimes they're going to go against you and he doesn't complain about
01:28it, but last time you could see it, get to him.
01:31That's why he went out there.
01:32You know, it's like, man, I did a good job laying off that pitch.
01:35It's a big situation.
01:36Base is loaded.
01:37We're two runs down and he gets rung up there and, uh, you know, granted it was closed,
01:44but, uh, still, it just seems like it always goes on the other end with him and, and you
01:50know, with how things are going right now, we, we had a heck of a rally and a base loaded
01:55one out, the young lines out and came up short again.
01:59Butch, there's this, uh, commercial on during Ranger games and it's the players having quick
02:04blurbs about you and why you are a great manager to them.
02:09And Travis Jankowski says no matter what, he's the same every day.
02:13He doesn't let the ups and downs of a game or a season, uh, he's the same guy.
02:20How long did it take you to maybe not let a loss show your, uh, show how it affected
02:28you to your team, to your players, or when wins happen that you're not too high and the
02:33players notice a difference in their manager in those situations?
02:37Well, I'll start with, you know, don't let, you know, what, what that perception is or,
02:47or what, uh, externally, uh, is showing me what, you know, what belies what's going on
02:52underneath.
02:53I mean, there's, I don't care who you are, you know, you be getting something like this.
02:57Yeah.
02:58It bothers you.
02:59But my job is to try to be the same, walk in a clubhouse, the same, uh, yeah, you gotta,
03:03you gotta show emotion, you know, whether you're, you're getting on them or, uh, you
03:08know, you're trying to calm them down, uh, uh, you know, that has to happen.
03:12You just can't be the same guy, but, uh, uh, I'll say this, uh, when I was younger,
03:20I had different managers, uh, different styles, uh, had the yellers, uh, screamers when we
03:26lost, uh, you know, tipping over the spread and you know, why did I, I don't think that
03:32really served a lot.
03:33And I did that in the minor leagues coming up, uh, you know, I thought that was the way
03:37to go, but, uh, uh, but I had a couple of players, you know, they, they, uh, you know,
03:43talked to me, uh, guys that were really close to that were, that were teammates of mine
03:49and later, uh, became their manager.
03:51And, um, and so, uh, I just realized the importance of trying to keep things calm because
03:57you don't need them, uh, you know, to tighten up.
03:59You don't need tension in the clubhouse.
04:01This game's hard enough to play.
04:03Now, if it's like a hustle or just, you know, continued mental lapses, yeah, that's a different
04:10story, but you know, they're going out there, they're, they're doing their best.
04:13They're trying as hard as they can.
04:15Uh, yeah, I think my job is to, you know, try to keep the, you know, the ship in calm
04:21waters and, uh, you know, just try to steer it in the right direction.
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