by Jeremy Harness & Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–For the second straight day an influential figure has left the San Francisco Giants first it was Pablo Sandoval on Monday this time Giants third base coach Tim Flannery has hung up his waving and sending signals to runners and hitters after eight seasons with the team. Flannery 57 is retiring after some 33 years in baseball.

Flannery was asked if it was a difficult decision to leave the game he worked in for so many years Flannery said he was thinking about leaving the game during the 2014 season and inspite of winning three championships with the team Flannery said the time has come. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he and Flannery spent many years coaching together “I think he did some soul searching and thought this was the right decision for him and his family. I certainly respect that. I’m going to miss Flan, with over 30 years of playing together and coaching together. We’ve gone down a lot of roads together” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Flannery was floated to manage in the big leagues some day after many years of coaching at third base but never wanted any part of managing and he said that he has done everything that he had to do in the show and is satisfied with what he accomplished.

“I had no desire to manage. This has all been thought out. This is not a knee jerk-reaction. So then you ask yourself, what else are you going to do? Keep coaching third till I drop over? Win a fourth championship? A fifth? What else can I do in the next phase of my life? asked Flannery.

Flannery also has been hit with various setbacks over the years as well as many different surgeries and he had knee surgery last year. Flannery also says he has double vision and he plans to take care of that soon. Flannery had suffered from double vision since spring training.

The Giants are considering two candidates to fill Flannery’s old job as third base coach Bill Hayes who is a former minor league manager and has worked coaching as a bullpen catcher and catching coach and filled in as a third base coach. The Giants could look to their Triple AAA manager in Sacramento Bob Mariano.

Morris Phillips and Jeremy Harness both are Giants beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com