Giants icon Buster Posey retired as a player nearly three years ago at the age of 34, with the intent to spend more time with his wife Kristen and their four children.
But Posey's time away from the day-to-day grind is over after the Giants announced Monday that he has been hired as the team's new president of baseball operations, replacing Farhan Zaidi, who was let go after six years in the role.
Naturally, the first question to Posey, 37, during his introductory press conference on Tuesday at Oracle Park was about what went into his decision to take on a role that might keep him away from his family.
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"Well, as [Giants chairman] Greg [Johnson] alluded to, it was convincing my wife," Posey told reporters. "No. 1.
"I'm so passionate about baseball. I know I finished a few years ago but just the opportunity again, like I mentioned, to be a part of a team. I think the chance to be in a position to hopefully elevate people that are all a part of this, elevate staff, elevate players. Again, we're in a memory making business and sure winning is great. And ultimately, that's our goal is to be a playoff team every year and compete for a championship. But I think just the overall big picture of being a part of something that's bigger than yourself was really appealing."
Posey assumes the task of trying to guide the Giants back to the MLB playoffs, which they have missed the last three seasons.
A homegrown star who helped the Giants win three World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014, Posey knows exactly what the organization is all about. He wants to help the team create memories for a new generation of fans.
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"I think back on some of my earliest memories, walking into a spring training clubhouse and walking in and seeing Willie Mays sitting at a table with Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal, Joe Amalfitano," Posey said during his opening statement. "The next week it's Will Clark, Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds and I always appreciated it and I don't think I'd appreciated it as much when I was a younger player, but as time went on, I appreciated just what that meant, not only to the community but to us as players and that there's a standard and expectation as for being a San Francisco Giant, and it's a privilege to try to go out there on the field and hold ourselves accountable to that standard.
"Those guys that I mentioned, you can go more towards my era with [Matt] Cain and [Tim] Lincecum and [Madison] Bumgarner and [Brandon] Crawford and [Brandon] Belt and you could go on. And in my time, what I came to realize is, yeah, sure, all of those guys were great players. They were part of great teams.
"But what those guys ultimately meant to the San Francisco Giants fan base and the community was memories. And all of us that are lucky enough to get to be involved in baseball in whatever capacity I think understand that not only is it the greatest game in the world, but we're in the memory making business. It's ultimately entertainment.
"It's an opportunity for grandparents and parents to share memories with friends. It's an opportunity for strangers sitting out in the bleachers to share a great memory that happens at the ballpark and that can be talked about from that time on for the rest of their life potentially."
Posey, who was given a three-year contract, will be tasked with finding a new general manager after he announced that Pete Putila won't continue in that role.
Then Posey will dive into the roster and figure out who will be back next season.
There's no honeymoon period for the franchise legend. But this breakneck schedule is what he -- and his family -- signed up for when he decided to take on this role.
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