DALLAS (Dec. 10) — On the second day of the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy spoke with reporters. One of the topics he spoke on was his first impression of the recently-signed Kyle Higashioka. “We’ve spoken a couple of times,” Bochy said. “We’re very excited to have him. He’s a winner. You know, talking to him, he takes so much pride in trying to make the pitcher better. That’s what he is so good at, framing and game-calling. He does a tremendous job behind the plate. He obviously — catching the postseason last year and how much confidence they had in him.”
Beneficial for Heim
Bruce Bochy also mentioned how the addition of Higashioka will be good for catcher Jonah Heim. “Kyle is going to complement Jonah so well I think,” he said. “I think it’s going to enable us to rest Jonah a little bit more. We have a great tandem behind the plate. Then he provides power too. He’s got some big power. You know, the guy is going to hit for a lot of average, but he will do some damage and he’s a great teammate. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Overworked
Bochy was also asked if the extended season in ’23 had a negative effect on Heim in 2024. “I can’t say that. I really can’t,” he said. “Only because there’s been a lot of teams that won World Championships and have to bounce back. So whether that did — he did carry a heavy load, no question about it. So that’s why getting Higgy here to help out, you know, to lighten the load for him, hopefully we keep him fresher.
“I don’t want to say anybody got complacent. I know Jonah didn’t, but at the same time I think it’s just a reminder that you can’t let up. You can’t stop trying to become a better player. Not that he didn’t, but this is a wake-up call that we have work to do. We have a lot of work to do this spring.”
Quick Hits
No matter the profession, time off is crucial for both physical and mental health. Bruce Bochy knows this as well as anyone, and he was asked how he has recharged since the end of the 2024 season. “I went down to Florida to fish. I had to cancel that trip because of the hurricane, so I had to stop in Georgia, had a lake there, Lake Oconee. We hung out there for a week and did some reflecting, some fishing, all those things just to decompress. As a manager, that’s what we do, I think. We’re always thinking about what we could have done differently or what we need to do better, lineups and things like that.”
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Main Photo Credits:
DALLAS (Dec. 10) — Bruce Bochy addresses the media at the 2024 Winter Meetings at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Nate Miller/Sport Relay)
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