The Giants interviewed at least five coaches to fill their manager’s office. Their process was serious and genuine, with Farhan Zaidi and ownership canvassing candidates of various backgrounds and experiences. With a stated goal of making a hire before the free agency period, their search was focused and purposeful.
It all changed when the Padres, who had previously committed to moving forward with Bob Melvin, granted them permission to interview him. Melvin said he would’ve only left San Diego for the Giants.
“We thought, ‘Well, if we had a chance to bring Bob here, he’d be the perfect guy,’” Farhan Zaidi said Wednesday. “Figuring out the timing and knowing the Padres would want some time to assess their own situation, we just had to figure out the right time to even make the request.”
From there, Melvin met with Giants ownership and baseball operations officials. He didn’t need to spend too much time catching up with Zaidi, whom he worked with in Oakland from 2011 to 2014. Zaidi has full trust in his ability to manage the clubhouse and strategies.
Melvin, 61, was the candidate the Giants had hoped for since they moved on from Gabe Kapler. And for Melvin, the Bay Area native with deep ties to the organization, the Giants were always on his mind. As a visiting manager, Melvin would slide down the Coke Slide in left field before it got closed down and take in views of McCovey Cove while running the stairs.
“Every time I was here,” Melvin said when asked if he’d envisioned himself managing the Giants before his introductory press conference. “Larry (Baer) and I have been back and forth over the years, too, ribbing each other — every series, I would look in that dugout, look over to the other side and say ‘Maybe some day. Hopefully.’”
Now, in a “surreal” day for Melvin, he put on a Giants hat and jersey for the first time since he played for the team in 1988. Both he and Zaidi are officially under contract with the Giants through 2026; Zaidi pursued Melvin while knowing he’d be around for the long run. Melvin is following Bruce Bochy’s Padres-to-Giants path, and like Bochy, didn’t require compensation for the intra division defection.
The Melvin-Giants marriage makes logical sense as a foil to Kapler’s style, as a pivot to the club’s next era, as a pitch to potential free agents, and as an appeal to an aggrieved fan base.
It all starts with Melvin’s unique passion for the Giants and the region. He grew up a die-hard Bay Area sports fan, one whose favorite sport changed with the seasons.
“San Francisco is the Giants and the Giants are San Francisco,” Melvin said. “I don’t think anybody understands that more than I do.”
Melvin played for the Giants for three years under Roger Craig, learning from the late Humm Baby. A journeyman backup catcher, he discovered with the Giants that his potential could be reached not on the field, but as a manager.
Craig was one of several influences on Melvin. Some others? Old school legend Phil Garner (alias: Scrap-Iron) and moneyball pioneer Billy Beane.
At this point in the sport, Melvin is the prototype of a moderate manager: someone who uses both feel and analytics to inform his decisions; a manager who works alongside but not for his front office; a player’s manager with interpersonal skills to empower a clubhouse.
Any rational team would sign up for that. Especially one in need of a stylistic and public relations face lift like the Giants.
That’s independent of Melvin’s three Manager of the Year awards, 1,517-1,425 record and universally sterling reputation among players. That’s in addition to his track record of helping young, homegrown players develop into All-Stars.
It’s irrespective of Melvin’s affable personality. Even during his press conference — not typically an easy format to showcase personality — Melvin complimented a media member’s starter jacket, mentioned his daughter’s Broadway musical in a moment of relatability, and joked about talking to Buster Posey for the first time after all these years.
But wait, there’s more. Melvin’s experience managing players from the Pacific Rim in Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Ha-Seong Kim and Yu Darvish is a trait that could play to San Francisco’s advantage this winter.
Melvin is revered by just about every player who has played for him. Tony Kemp has called him his favorite skipper. Logan Webb’s excitement in Melvin’s hiring was palpable.
Even with Zaidi’s newfound stability, the Giants couldn’t afford to take a risk on an unproven manager. Following two disappointing years, they need to return to contention as soon as possible.
“There’s always that expectation, especially when you have the resources here,” Melvin said when asked about the pressure of managing a legendary franchise. “I wouldn’t say pressure. There’s always pressure when you go out and play. It’s more responsibility that I feel here, maybe more so than anywhere I’ve been just because of the fact I grew up here. Pressure’s part of it all. But the expectation is going to be to win here from Day 1.”
Melvin is the Giants’ dream manager, and the Giants are his dream job. It would be hard to imagine a more ideal match.
“We just view Bob as the perfect manager and perfect leader for this team and this organization right now,” Zaidi said.