Bruce Bochy On Jack Leiter Expectations For The Rest Of 2024, Jacob deGrom & More | K&C Masterpiece

our interview with Texas Rangers manager Bruce bochi good afternoon good afternoon how how we doing we're doing good we appreciate you fitting Us in I know it's a tight schedule today with the double header I I I'm curious how does that affect availability or pitching plans for you guys having to go with the double header as opposed to what the schedule was going to be we're all set to go we've had two days off so guys are fresh in bullpen we got long guys down there so we have coverage uh inward lighter we will have to keep an eye on him and you know his workload but uh you know Andrew we're hoping to get five or six we you know if we get that then uh you know we're good the first game and first game always uh can dictate what we have left in the second game and we don't think about tomorrow until we get to that point we have to make a move we'll do that but I I think we're fine there now our job's to go and get some runs when you talk about monitoring lighter outside of just what you regularly do to monitor a pitcher is there anything special for him because he's young because he has kind of bounced up and down from the miners like what do you look for when you're monitoring him well more than anything just you know how their endings are going how stressful they are you know you're always looking at you know number of pitches but you know he's had some time off and what two weeks ago and so he's good he's healthy he's been stretched out and you know we could take him up to 90 pitches in there but just a case of how he gets there so anyway Mike Maddox and I will uh you know we'll keep a watchful eye on how how it's going for him check on but you know he's you know he wouldn't be starting the second game if we didn't think he was he was stretched out he was healthy he was good to go do when we we kind of talked about this a little bit with Mike earlier and I was kind of curious on the front of if you have him up for a few weeks and have that opportunity to kind of really work with him is that better uh because then you can kind of drill in on some other things that you see in his game well it's always better it's better for the players better for the coach don't get around that now it's it's about results too up here and uh especially when you're in a wind you know now mode that's uh which you know we were during the season now things are changing a little bit and and so that comes into play uh with maybe playing time with guys um you know of course we'll bring up a guy or two um you know September 1st and and hopefully find some playing time there that's where it changes uh but during the season you know it's kind of hard to do that uh uh when you're trying to you know get back to the postseason and and still try to develop guys but to your point sure um you know he you know whether it's a position player or a pitcher it's always good to have your hands on as much as you can well it looks like in the Box Score Jacob deg Grom had another two successful Innings last night could you tell us what you've heard yeah yeah great job again uh you know had some easy Innings there didn't get up to the 40 which he could have so when that didn't happen after he finishes two innings uh he went down to Bullpen he threw some more to stretch him out so the next time he goes out he'll be three to four innings in that area came out of it fine as far as we know I have not talked to him today but he was hit 98 99 had good command all his pitches and pitch very efficiently and that's why he went to the bullpen and throws him more after his two inning St was there and and I apologize if this is a silly question was there ever any thought about instead of that happening in the bullpen because he was so efficient just leaving him in the game or do you like the controlled Avenue of stretching him out more in the bullpen well now second time out this is the plan so it's a matter of sticking with the plan uh the first two times out uh now we'll have a little bit more flexibility as far as sending him out and uh just making sure that uh we don't deviate too much and then you have regrets well we this was our plan and we send them back out because you I don't care where you're pitching you know when when you're in a competitive environment I mean you're going to crank it up a little bit more noral so we we didn't want to do it the third inning hey I know this is a minor leager right now boach but Justin fosu I was just looking up yesterday's betting 342 in the month of August in Triple A uh can you give us is there something you guys told him to go down there and work on and it's it's really changed uh his uh hitting I think as much as anything it's just he's been getting a lot of reps he came up here you know he got a few reps and um know he wasn't you know getting his hits uh uh but you know with that oblique that set him back he missed quite a bit of time with that so uh he's a hitter he's you know he gives you quality at bats he has discipline at the plate so he'll take his walk but he hasn't act getting the barrel on the ball so I think that's all it is is getting more reps yeah if there's one thing we told them uh you know hopefully send a message is uh you know to let it go be aggressive uh uh you know that's you know the type of hitter that we want you know someone that's going to get a good swing off and you know we we w we always want guys have discipline but at the same time not up there looking to walk especially guy like Justin posu who can do some damage and now that he has done that damage will we see him on September 1st you think well I can't just make that call but you worth a shot yeah yeah you know has to go through now we've talked obviously you've talked ad nauseum about the offense in the hitting I was curious about since you just mentioned plate discipline the lack of walks this season compared to like especially last year is there anything you've seen and how do you balance being aggressive but also you know still wanting to draw walks well a couple things there I mean every year is going to be different how p attack you and and uh last year I think you look at how we swung the bats and and uh the numbers we put up the damage well that creates fear when you're doing a lot of damage with the plate and you know what comes with that are walks you know look at the great hitters bonds guys like that yeah they had intentional walks but when they you didn't get those they still walk a lot because of the fear of throwing the ball over the plate maybe a little bit of that has gone and we're getting attacked a little bit uh more than we did last year or I'll say a lot more and and that is the case so you know those walks aren't available because you know being honest we we're just not swinging the bats the way we did last year you brought up bonds there and we were just having a discussion before you came on the air about Otani and judge and the historical Seasons those two guys are having when it comes to I know you're tight on schedule here but when it comes to those two guys you've managed against Albert pulos you had bonds you Miguel Cabrera Mike Trout judge and Otani are having Seasons that you could argue are back to or in a way similar to when Barry Bonds was having those crazy years where do you look at those two guys right now Otani and judge offensively well I agree I mean close close but I I'll say this I I don't know if we'll see a season uh you know or Seasons like Bond was having in his hey day oh my goodness I mean the just look at the number of walks intentional walks uh uh he just didn't get anything to hit and and when he did get a pitch uh man he he didn't miss it very often and so um that's that's just amazing what what he was doing uh you know during his prime there so but you look at these two guys yeah I I think it's fair to say yeah there it's close but I I don't think it's quite What bond was doing last thing for you just a little bit of fun since y'all are in Chicago what is your favorite style of pizza I'm not a deep dish guy I never have been I I I like that thin that real thin pizza you know I've been to Italy and U you know that's where I kind of I guess it and uh but we have it in here last night got rained out we had both stop a pizza and I I didn't have either one last night but uh if I would have got one it would have been the thinner Pizza I'm with you boat my heart just a little bit he crushed a deep dish last night what's what's your toppings if we were to get you a pizza boat what's the toppings you want on it uh I'm a big sausage guy I like sausage and mushrooms well thank you very much good sir again I know tight schedule today get after it we appreciate the time yeah yeah good two games U you know it's it's uh you know part of the schedule after that rain out so boys are ready to go and uh hopefully we'll we'll put some runs uh you know across the board for for his pitching staff today excellent we'll catch you next week all right guys we'll talk to you go get Rangers [Music]