Major League Baseball made history this month when San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy called up his son, Brett, to join the team’s roster.
The Bochys are the seventh father-son manager-player combo in MLB history; the last was in 2005 when San Francisco’s previous manager, Felipe Alou, called up his son, Moises, according to data collected by the Elias Sports Bureau.  This is also the first time that two consecutive managers will have both administered their sons.
Brett Bochy was called up on Sept. 1 from San Francisco’s AAA minor league team, the Fresno Grizzlies. The 27-year-old, right-handed pitcher (RHP) recorded a 3.83 Earned Run Average (ERA) with 47 strikeouts in 54 innings, spanning 35 appearances for Fresno this year, according to the Fresno Grizzlies’s website.
Bochy endured Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery during his senior year at University of Kansas in 2010.  He healed well, however, and was selected later that year by the Giants in the 20th round of the First-Year Player Draft.  Bochy was never a favorable prospect as a reliever, but with four seasons of steady perseverance, he rose through the organization’s minor league system to finally have his chance in the majors.
While most news outlets congratulated Bochy on his opportunity, some were hesitant of the decision.  NBC Sports Hardball Talk was quick to claim, “It’s hard not to conclude that [Bochy’s] getting a chance to play in the big leagues isn’t at least somewhat due to nepotism.”  However, is this really a fair assumption?
Comparing individual statistics among the Grizzlies proves that Bochy is the third most-qualified pitcher to be called up.  Alongside Bochy, the Giants selected the contract of 26-year-old RHP Chris Heston and recalled 28-year-old RHP Erik Cordier.  You guessed it: They were the only other pitchers with better stats than Bochy.
Heston recorded a 3.38 ERA with 125 strikeouts in 173 innings, spanning 28 appearances for Fresno this year while Cordier recorded a 3.59 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 52 innings, spanning 47 appearances, according to the Fresno Grizzlies’ website.
With the Giants striving for an enduring postseason stretch, it is no surprise they would be looking to provide some depth in their bullpen.  Although this probably means Bochy won’t be pitching too often, it is still an incredible opportunity for his career.
He was pulled up earlier this year for 30 days during spring training, where in one game he pitched a 1-2-3 strikeout inning in the sixth against the Rockies.  Bochy definitely shows potential.  With the Giants still in the hunt for playoffs in October, he will strive to perform on the competitive level needed to advance their season.