Bob Melvin, who helped Cal to the 1980 College World Series in his only season at the school and has gone on to a successful 20-year career as a major league manager, has emerged as the front-runner for the San Francisco Giants’ vacant skipper job.
Melvin has managed San Diego the past two seasons, but the Padres granted the Giants permission to interview him.
At that point, Melvin, who turns 62 on Saturday, became “instantly" the leading candidate to replace Gabe Kapler, who fired last month, according to reporting by The Athletic, citing anonymous sources.
Melvin managed the Oakland A’s for 11 seasons through the 2021 season, during which time he often was seen at Cal sporting events, especially men’s basketball games. He also resided in Berkeley during that period.
A native of Palo, Melvin attended Menlo-Atherton High School, where he batted .529 as a senior in 1979 and was taken in the third round of the amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
But he accepted a scholarship to Cal instead, and was part of a 1980 team that went 44-23-1 and finished third at the College World Series, the programs first trip to the CWS in 23 years. Melvin batted .269 with 12 RBIs in just 67 at-bats as a freshman.
That summer, according to a story on SABR.org, Melvin played for an American Legion team based in Palo Alto, leading his club to the Legion World Series in Minnesota.
Along the way, one tournament offered 50 pounds of potatoes to any player who homered. Melvin hit seven homers to reportedly collect 350 pounds of spuds.
Melvin never played again at Cal. Convinced by then he was ready to play professionally, he transferred to Cañada College in Redwood City because as a JC player he would be eligible for the 1981 MLB draft. Had he remained at Cal, he would have had to stay in college through his junior season before re-entering the draft.
While enrolled at Cañada, Melvin was selected No. 2 overall by Detroit In the January 1981 phase of the draft.
A catcher, he played 10 seasons (1985-94) for seven teams in the majors, batting .233 with 35 home runs, 24 of those in his three seasons (1986-88) in San Francisco.
Melvin blossomed as a manager with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, A’s and Padres, compiling a career win-loss record of 1,517-1,425 with eight postseason appearances. He is a three-time manager of the year.
Melvin directed the A’s to three AL West titles and six postseason appearances in 11 seasons.
The Padres reached the playoffs a year ago, but there reportedly has become a division between Melvin and Padres general manager A.J. Preller. Although Preller confirmed that Melvin would be back for 2024, he also gave the Giants permission to interview him.
According to the Bay Area News Group, the Giants also have received permission to interview Stephen Vogt, a catcher for five years on Melvin’s teams in Oakland, and Jason Varitek, the former Red Sox catcher. Neither has ever served as an MLB manager.
The Giants reportedly also have met with four internal candidates — bench coach Kai Correa, third base coach Mark Hallberg, assistant coach Alyssa Nakken and special assistant Ron Wotus. None of them have MLB managerial experience, either.
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