Bruce Bochy buys Tim Flannery his own World Series trophy
The relationship between San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy and Tim Flannery, his long-time friend, teammate and third-base coach, has been well documented.
In fact, MLB Productions did so extensively earlier this year, releasing a documentary titled The Odd Couple: Bochy and Flannery, which focused on that friendship.
It’s a special bond that dates all the way back to their playing days with the San Diego Padres in 1983. In an almost unprecedented show of loyalty — at least in the world of sports — the two remained side-by-side on and off the field for 31 years, right up until Flannery’s retirement from coaching in November of 2014.
[Elsewhere: Marcus Stroman encourages Toronto fans to boo David Price]
That loyalty did not go unappreciated by either man, and the level of success they were able to attain with the Giants made the journey all the more satisfying.
Together, Bochy and Flannery helped bring three World Series trophies to San Francisco, winning the championship in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Both men received rings for their roles in guiding that team, which is the usual protocol. However, Bochy recently decided that Flannery deserved something more.
As a nod to his loyalty and a token of appreciation for helping mold his championship teams, Bochy actually went out and bought Flannery his very own Commissioner’s trophy, which is awarded to the World Series champions every season.
That’s the real deal, folks, not a cheap replica. And as you can probably guess, it had to cost Bochy a pretty penny to have it made.
According to CBS Sports’ David Brown, manufacturing an exact replica costs somewhere between $15,000 and $18,000. That’s why you don’t see every player getting his own trophy, and that’s why you don’t see fans giving them to each other every Christmas.
Bochy can afford it, though it’s pretty clear this isn’t about the money. It’s about the impact Flannery has made on him, on his family, on his baseball team, and perhaps on a grander scale, the impact Flannery has made on society. Flannery has always been one to give back, often times using his musical talents to raise money for charities.
[Catch of the Year countdown: Kevin Kiermaier got hops (No. 3)]
Of note, Flannery has put on benefit concerts and donated money to Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was critically injured after being beaten in a Dodger Stadium parking lot. Flannery has always been one to put others first or lend a helping hand when needed, and those actions make him a champion in many people’s eyes, not just Bruce Bochy’s.
For that, we should all salute Tim Flannery, and we should all thank Bruce Bochy for giving Flannery his proper due.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
