Bruce Bochy says he's 'good to go' following heart procedure

Bruce Bochy’s office door was open early Sunday morning, and the manager sat back in his chair with a big smile on his face as reporters welcomed him back to camp. Bochy grabbed his chest with both hands.

“It was you guys!” he said, joking that Thursday’s media session was the one that put him in the hospital. 

All was back to normal for Bochy on Sunday after two days spent recovering from a minor heart procedure. Bochy had two stents inserted in his heart on Thursday, and the doctor who performed the procedure, Dr. Bradley Oswood, told the 59-year-old Bochy that he’s generally in terrific shape and there are no additional concerns about his heart. 

“I’ve got another 200,000 miles on me,” he quipped. “I couldn’t feel better. It’s really incredible, this modern medicine. I’m good to go. I could have walked out of there, but they wouldn’t let me.”

Bochy instead spent the night answering text messages from friends and colleagues, and he said he heard from so many well-wishers that he’s still behind in returning texts. The procedure itself only took about 40 minutes, with the incision being made in Bochy’s right wrist. He watched on a monitor as Dr. Oswood set about opening up an artery that had been 90 percent blocked. 

Bochy immediately felt better, and in retrospect he realizes that he wasn’t quite 100 percent all offseason. He was more exhausted than usual after the parade, falling into a chair at City Hall as he prepared for the ceremony celebrating a third championship in five years. He said he was “achy” at times during the winter, and he immediately had more energy after the procedure. Bochy wasn’t put under any serious restrictions as he returned to work, but he was asked to take two weeks off from exercising and lifting weights. He will continue to be monitored, but that’s nothing new. Bochy has seen a cardiologist for about 10 years, in part because his father, Gus, passed away from a heart attack. 

Bochy was in a great mood throughout Sunday’s workout, joking early that he was looking for bacon and then later ending a session with reporters by saying he craved ribs. Instead, he walked into his office with a plate of salad and a piece of chicken, which isn’t out of character. Bochy has always watched what he eats, and doctors didn’t order him to change his diet. 

While Bochy credited Ron Wotus and the rest of the staff for running a smooth camp on Friday and Saturday, he was eager to get back to work. When a reporter joked that he expected Bochy to sneak into the facility on Saturday, he smiled.

“I did!” he said. “That’s how good I am. You didn’t see me.”

-- Alex Pavlovic, CSNBayArea.com