Bob Melvin | |
---|---|
San Francisco Giants – No. 6 | |
Catcher / Manager | |
Born: Palo Alto, California, U.S. | October 28, 1961|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
May 25, 1985, for the Detroit Tigers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 6, 1994, for the Chicago White Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .233 |
Home runs | 35 |
Runs batted in | 212 |
Managerial record | 1,597–1,507 |
Winning % | .514 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
As player
As manager
As coach | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28,1961) is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Melvin has been named Manager of the Year three times.
Selected in the first round,second overall,by the Detroit Tigers in the secondary phase of the 1981 draft,Melvin was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers,San Francisco Giants,Baltimore Orioles,Kansas City Royals,Boston Red Sox,New York Yankees,and Chicago White Sox during a 10-year playing career from 1985 through 1994.
In his 20-year managing career Melvin has led the Seattle Mariners (2003–04),Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–09),Oakland Athletics (2011–21),and San Diego Padres (2022–23). Melvin was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2007,and the American League Manager of the Year in both 2012 (becoming the sixth manager in history to win the award in both leagues) and in 2018 (becoming the eighth manager ever to win the award at least three times).
Entering the 2020 MLB season,Melvin was the longest-tenured manager in MLB with the same team. Through 2023,his 853 Oakland wins were second-most in team history (behind Connie Mack). He had an aggregate career record of 1,517–1,425 (.516) in 20 seasons as a Major League manager,and had led his clubs to eight postseason appearances and four division titles. [1] [2]
Melvin was born in Palo Alto,California,to Paul and Judy (Levitas) Melvin,and grew up in Menlo Park,California. [3] [4] [5] The son of a Jewish mother (who raised him after his parents divorced in 1972) and a Catholic father. [3] [6] [7] [8] He would later recall celebrating Passover with his mother's family. [8] [9] He was raised as a Christian. [10]
Through 2021,he was one of seven Jewish managers in MLB history. [11] [12] The others were Gabe Kapler,Brad Ausmus,Jeff Newman,Norm Sherry,Lefty Phillips,and Lipman Pike. [12] Melvin's maternal grandfather,R.B. "Bud" Levitas,was the original ballboy in the 1920s for the Acme Packers (precursor to the Green Bay Packers),and later married Melvin's maternal grandmother,Leah Levitas,who died in 2007. [4] [13]
He resides in Berkeley,California,and in Greenwich Village in New York City,with his wife Kelley,whom he met in 1982 when he was 21 years of age. [14] [15] [4] They have one daughter,Alexi (born in 1988),who is an actress,writer,and filmmaker. [16] [17] [18] Melvin and his family are actively involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation;Alexi was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 14. [16] [19]
After attending Laurel and Encinal elementary schools in Menlo Park,Melvin played baseball (at catcher),basketball (at forward),and golf at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton,south of San Francisco,graduating in 1979. [20] [21] He batted .474 with 11 home runs for the baseball team,including .529 his senior year when he was named to the San Jose Mercury News' All-Central Coast Section baseball team. [22] [21] He was the first student inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. [4]
Melvin then enrolled at the University of California in Berkeley,and played catcher for the Golden Bears. As a freshman,he helped lead Cal to a 44–23–1 (.654) record and a third-place finish at the College World Series in 1980. [20] Melvin finished his freshman season batting .269 with two doubles and 12 RBIs in 67 at bats over 29 games. [22]
Following his freshman year at California,Melvin transferred to Cañada College in Redwood City,California. [23] He played fall ball for the baseball team.
Melvin was selected in the 1st round (2nd pick) by the Detroit Tigers in the secondary phase of the 1981 draft. He debuted in the major leagues on May 25,1985,at the age of 23. [24] He played 11 seasons,mostly as a back-up catcher,for the Tigers,San Francisco Giants,Baltimore Orioles,Kansas City Royals,Boston Red Sox,New York Yankees,and Chicago White Sox. As a Tiger,he backed up Lance Parrish,and as a Giant,he served as the backup for fellow catcher Bob Brenly,who,like him,went on to manage the Diamondbacks. [22] During his winters in San Francisco,he interned at Bear Stearns. [25] [26]
In 1987,he caught stealing 42.9% of attempted base-stealers,second-best in the National League. [24] In 1991,Melvin turned five double plays at catcher,fifth-most in the American League,despite playing in only 79 games. [24] Melvin finished his career with a batting average of .233,and 35 home runs. [24]
Melvin worked for Milwaukee as a scout in 1996,roving instructor in 1997,and assistant to General Manager Sal Bando in 1998. [1] He began his coaching career as Manager Phil Garner's bench coach from 1999 to 2000,first with the Brewers in 1999 wearing #12 (during which time he also managed the Maryvale team in the Arizona Fall League),and then in 2000 with the Tigers,wearing #15. [1] He was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2013. [1] Melvin then served the Arizona Diamondbacks as bench coach on the staff of manager Bob Brenly,from 2001 to 2002,a period in which the team won two NL West titles,as well as the 2001 World Series. [1]
Melvin managed the Seattle Mariners in 2003 and 2004,following a ten-year run of Lou Piniella. The Mariners won 93 games with a .574 win–loss percentage in 2003,as the 93 wins tied Melvin for the 15th-most by any rookie manager in Major League history. [1] However,the team missed the playoffs,finishing three games behind the Oakland Athletics in the division,and two behind the Boston Red Sox for the one wild card spot. [27]
The following season was less successful,as the Mariners lost 99 games in 2004,and Melvin's contract was not extended. He finished with a 156–168 career record (.481) as Mariners manager. [28] He returned to the Diamondbacks for whom he previously had been bench coach before being hired by the Mariners.
Melvin was the second manager the Diamondbacks hired for 2005,after they fired Wally Backman before he managed a single game due to revelations of his past arrests and serious financial troubles. [29] Melvin led the team on a 26-game improvement from a franchise-worst 51–111 mark in 2004,as the team finished 2005 with a record of 77–85. [1]
Melvin led Arizona to a National League West title in 2007 with a record of 90–72,and a .556 win–loss percentage. [23] The Diamondbacks entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the National League. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS,but then were swept themselves in the NLCS by the Colorado Rockies.
Melvin was named National League Sporting News Manager of the Year and MLB Manager of the Year for 2007. His nickname was "The Mad Scientist",because of his mental approach to the game. [30]
On August 14,2008,with his 304th win Melvin became the winningest manager in Arizona history,passing Bob Brenly. [1]
Melvin was fired as manager and replaced by A. J. Hinch,another former catcher,after the May 8,2009,game. [31] Melvin finished with a 337–340 regular season record as Diamondbacks manager,and a 3–4 post–season record. [28]
Following the 2009 season,Melvin was a candidate to be the next manager of the Houston Astros. [32] However,the position was filled by Brad Mills. [33] He was interviewed by the Milwaukee Brewers for their managerial opening in October 2010,and was believed to be a finalist along with Bobby Valentine,Joey Cora,and Ron Roenicke. [34] The position eventually went to Roenicke,then the Angels' bench coach. [35]
In 2010,Melvin was a scout for the New York Mets,and in May 2011 he worked for the Diamondbacks as a special baseball advisor to president and CEO Derrick Hall. [1]
On June 9,2011,Melvin was named interim manager of the Oakland Athletics following Bob Geren's dismissal. Melvin wore #6 after becoming manager. [36] On September 21,he was given the managerial position on a permanent basis,with a three-year contract extension,and became the 30th manager in franchise history,and the 18th in Oakland history. [1] [37] The Athletics fashioned a 47–52 record under Melvin's watch,and a 74–88 overall finish to 2011. In 2011,he had the lowest rate of his pitchers issuing intentional walks per game of all AL managers,at 0.2%. [38]
Melvin went on the Chris Townsend Show in the Bay Area after the first game of the 2012 season in Tokyo,and promised the fans that the Athletics would work hard every game. He managed the Athletics to the franchise's best-ever record in July at 19–5. On October 1,the Athletics clinched their first playoff appearance since 2006,and two days later clinched the American League West. For the regular season,the team was 94–68,a .580 win–loss percentage. [23] In 2012,he used the fewest pinch runners per game of all AL managers,at 0.10. [39] The Athletics faced the Detroit Tigers in the Division Series. They lost the first two games in close fashion before going back to Oakland and winning tight affairs in Game 3 and 4 to force a pivotal Game 5 in Oakland. They were then shut out 6-0 to finish the series. [40] Melvin was honored as the 2012 American League Manager of the Year. [1] He became the 14th manager in history to win the award at least twice in a career,and the sixth manager to win the award in both leagues. [1]
During the 2013 season,Melvin's second full season at the helm,the Athletics continued what began the previous year,posting winning records for every month of the season and securing a second consecutive American League West Division Championship. Athletics' outfielder Josh Reddick referred to Melvin as the "King of Platoons" due to his extensive use of platoons. [41] [42] In the 2013 regular season,the team was 96–66 with a .593 win–loss percentage. [23] They then faced the Tigers in the Division Series. Oakland won two of the first three games and even had Game 5 set up in Oakland. They lost Game 4 and then were shutout in Game 5 to once again lose at home.
In 2014,Melvin's Athletics entered the All-Star Break with the best record in the majors. While the team faded down the stretch,it still managed to clinch an AL Wild Card berth on the final day of the season. [43] They played the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Wild Card Game. They held a 7-3 at the end of six innings,and even a three-run unravelling in the eighth saw them lead 7-6 in the ninth inning. But the bullpen could not account for timely baserunning and hits that saw a run score in the bottom of the 9th and even a run scored in the 12th by Oakland saw Kansas City score a walk off single to win it. In 2015,Melvin only had his players place eleven sacrifice bunts,the lowest number in the AL. [44]
On July 29,2017,he became the 64th MLB manager to win 1,000 games in his career. [1] On September 28,2017,the Athletics and Melvin agreed to extend his contract through the 2019 season. [45] In 2017,he used the most pinch hitters per game of any AL manager (0.79),and the fewest pinch runners per game (0.12). [46]
On October 29,2018,the Athletics awarded Melvin a long-term contract extension,through 2021 with a club option for 2022. [47] On November 13,2018,Melvin won his third Manager of the Year award,becoming just the 8th manager in MLB history win the award three times. [48] He won the award after leading the baseball team with the lowest Opening Day payroll to a 97–65 record and its first post-season in four years. [48]
In 2019,he used the fewest pinch runners per game of all AL managers,at 0.07. [49] On June 1,2021;with a 12–6 win over the Seattle Mariners,Melvin tallied his 798th win as Athletics manager. This vaulted him past Tony La Russa to become the second-winningest manager in Athletics history,and the winningest in the West Coast portion of franchise history. In 2021 he led all AL managers with an average of 0.99 pinch hitters per game. [50]
By the end of his Athletics tenure,his 853 wins were second-most in team history,behind only Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack. His 1,346 wins ranked 34th in MLB history. [51] Among active Major League managers,only Dusty Baker,and Terry Francona had more wins. [2] In Oakland,he had led them to six postseason appearances and three division titles;the Athletics lost in the first round in five of their six postseason appearances,winning just the 2020 AL Wild Card Series before losing in the 2020 ALDS. ESPN reported:"With the A's,Melvin developed a reputation as a players' manager as well as a keen strategist,and in a division in which his team often carried the lowest payroll,he found consistent success." [52]
On November 1,2021,Melvin became the 22nd manager of the San Diego Padres. He signed a three-year contract. [53]
In his first season as manager,Melvin led the Padres to the postseason,the Padres first playoff berth in a full season since 2006. [54] In the Wild Card Series,against the New York Mets,the Padres defeated the Mets 2-1 to advance. [55] Under Melvin,the Padres defeated the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers three-games-to-one in the 2022 National League Division Series, [56] but lost the league championship series to the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1. That season,he had the team issue the lowest rate of intentional walks in the league (in 0.1% of plate appearances). [57]
In 2023,Melvin led the Padres to a record of 82-80. [58] They finished third in the NL West,one spot ahead of the 79-83 Giants. [59] His 1,517 regular season wins ranked 25th all-time and were third-most among active managers behind Bruce Bochy (2,093) and Buck Showalter (1,727). [60] One of 15 managers with eight postseason appearances in MLB history,Melvin is the only one to have never won a league pennant. [61]
On October 25,2023,the San Francisco Giants announced that Melvin had been hired as the club's manager,the 39th manager in franchise history. [59] He signed a three-year contract. [62]
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
SEA | 2003 | 162 | 93 | 69 | .574 | 2nd in AL West | – | – | – | |
SEA | 2004 | 162 | 63 | 99 | .389 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | |
SEA total | 324 | 156 | 168 | .481 | – | – | – | |||
ARI | 2005 | 162 | 77 | 85 | .475 | 2nd in NL West | – | – | – | |
ARI | 2006 | 162 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 4th in NL West | – | – | – | |
ARI | 2007 | 162 | 90 | 72 | .556 | 1st in NL West | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost NLCS (COL) |
ARI | 2008 | 162 | 82 | 80 | .506 | 2nd in NL West | – | – | – | |
ARI | 2009 | 29 | 12 | 17 | .414 | Fired | – | – | – | |
ARI total | 677 | 337 | 340 | .498 | 3 | 4 | .429 | |||
OAK | 2011 | 99 | 47 | 52 | .475 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | |
OAK | 2012 | 162 | 94 | 68 | .580 | 1st in AL West | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost ALDS (DET) |
OAK | 2013 | 162 | 96 | 66 | .593 | 1st in AL West | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost ALDS (DET) |
OAK | 2014 | 162 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 2nd in AL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost ALWC (KC) |
OAK | 2015 | 162 | 68 | 94 | .420 | 5th in AL West | – | – | – | |
OAK | 2016 | 162 | 69 | 93 | .426 | 5th in AL West | – | – | – | |
OAK | 2017 | 162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 5th in AL West | – | – | – | |
OAK | 2018 | 162 | 97 | 65 | .599 | 2nd in AL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost ALWC (NYY) |
OAK | 2019 | 162 | 97 | 65 | .599 | 2nd in AL West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost ALWC (TB) |
OAK | 2020 | 60 | 36 | 24 | .600 | 1st in AL West | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost ALDS (HOU) |
OAK | 2021 | 162 | 86 | 76 | .531 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | |
OAK total | 1,617 | 853 | 764 | .528 | 7 | 13 | .350 | |||
SD | 2022 | 162 | 89 | 73 | .549 | 2nd in NL West | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost NLCS (PHI) |
SD | 2023 | 162 | 82 | 80 | .506 | 3rd in NL West | – | – | – | |
SD total | 324 | 171 | 153 | .528 | 6 | 6 | .500 | |||
SF | 2024 | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 4th in NL West | – | – | – | |
SF total | 162 | 80 | 82 | .494 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
Total [63] | 3,104 | 1,597 | 1,507 | .514 | 16 | 23 | .410 |
Matthew Derrick Williams, nicknamed "Matt the Bat" and "the Big Marine", is an American professional baseball manager and former third baseman who is the third base coach for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed batter, Williams played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He managed the Washington Nationals from 2014 to 2015, and was the third base coach for the San Diego Padres from 2022 to 2023.
Alfredo José Pedrique García is a Venezuelan professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop for the New York Mets (1987), Pittsburgh Pirates (1987–88), and Detroit Tigers (1989).
Robert Earl Brenly is an American baseball sportscaster and a former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants. After retiring as a player, Brenly worked as a broadcaster with the Chicago Cubs, then as a coach with the Giants, then as a broadcaster for Fox. He was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2001 season, and won the franchise's only championship his first year, becoming the fourth rookie manager to win a World Series and first since 1961. In 2004, Brenly was released by the Diamondbacks and again became a broadcaster with the Cubs until 2012. He now serves as a color commentator for Diamondbacks broadcasts.
Andrew Jay Hinch is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher who is the manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a member of Team USA, Hinch won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics before playing in MLB for the Oakland Athletics (1998–2000), Kansas City Royals (2001–2002), Detroit Tigers (2003), and Philadelphia Phillies (2004).
Bruce Douglas Bochy is a French-American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing career, Bochy was a catcher for the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres. After retiring as a player, Bochy managed the Padres for 12 seasons, from 1995 to 2006, and the San Francisco Giants for 13 seasons, from 2007 to 2019. As manager, Bochy led the Padres to one World Series appearance (1998), the Giants to three World Series championships, and the Rangers to the franchise's first World Series championship in his first season with the club (2023). He is one of only three managers to win a World Series championship in both leagues, joining Sparky Anderson and Tony La Russa as the others. Bochy is the 11th manager in MLB history to achieve 2,000 wins.
Michael Peter Aldrete is an American former professional baseball first baseman/outfielder and current hitting coach for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 7 teams over a span of ten seasons, including the Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, California Angels, and New York Yankees from 1986 to 1996.
Bryan Roberts Price is an American professional baseball coach and manager. Price was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of MLB, from 2014 through 2018. He most recently served as the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants.
Robert Peter Geren is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1988–1991) and San Diego Padres (1993). Geren managed the Oakland Athletics from 2007 through 2011. He served in various coaching capacities for the A's and New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is currently the major league field coordinator for the Dodgers.
Ronald Jon Roenicke is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach, and manager. During his playing career, Roenicke played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. He later served as a coach for the Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and Boston Red Sox, and as manager for the Milwaukee Brewers and Red Sox. He is the younger brother of former MLB outfielder Gary Roenicke.
The 2000 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees defeating the New York Mets in five games, for their third consecutive World Series title.
Philip Anthony Roof is an American former professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball in 1961 and from 1964 to 1977, most notably for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins. Although Roof did not produce impressive offensive statistics, he excelled defensively as a catcher which enabled him to sustain a lengthy career in the major leagues due to his valuable defensive abilities. He was the first player acquired by the expansion Toronto Blue Jays.
The 1998 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series, after they had won a then AL record 114 regular season games. The Yankees finished with 125 wins for the season, which remains the MLB record.
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008, in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff to win the AL Central. The Civil Rights Game, an exhibition, in Memphis, Tennessee, took place March 29 when the New York Mets beat the Chicago White Sox, 3–2.
The 1988 Cleveland Indians season was the 88th season for the franchise. The team, managed by Doc Edwards, finished sixth in the American League East.
The 1991 Major League Baseball season saw the Minnesota Twins defeat the Atlanta Braves for the World Series title, in a series where every game was won by the home team.
Ryan Alan Christenson is an American professional baseball former outfielder, minor league manager, and current bench coach for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on April 5, 2009; the regular season was extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins for the American League Central title. The postseason began the next day with the Division Series. The World Series began on October 28, and ended on November 4, with the New York Yankees defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. This was the second time the season was completed in November. The only other occasion was the 2001 World Series, because of the delaying of the end of that season due to the September 11 attacks as November baseball would be guaranteed when Game 4 was played on Sunday, November 1. Had the 2009 World Series gone the full seven games, Game 7 would've been played on November 5, the latest date ever scheduled for a World Series game. It became the latest date for a World Series game in 2022. The American League champion had home field advantage for the World Series by virtue of winning the All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, 4–3. In addition, the annual Civil Rights Game became a regular season game, and was played June 20 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the host Cincinnati Reds lost to the Chicago White Sox in an interleague game, 10–8. Both teams wore replicas of their 1965 uniforms in the contest.
Ricky Joe Sweet is an American former professional baseball catcher and current manager of the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1978 and 1983 for the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners. Sweet became a major league coach in 1984 and spent two years as a scout before beginning his minor league managerial career in 1987.
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since 1976, and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since 1990. The 82nd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 12 with the National League defeating the American League for the second straight year, by a score of 5–1. As had been the case since 2003, the league winning that game had home field advantage in the World Series. Accordingly, the World Series began on October 19, and ended on October 28, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning in seven games over the Texas Rangers.
The 2018 Major League Baseball season began on March 29. The regular season ended on October 1, extended a day for tiebreaker games to decide the winners of the National League Central and National League West. The postseason began on October 2. The World Series began on October 23, and ended on October 28 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win their ninth World Series championship.