Next year will be Matt Willliams’ fifth year working with manager Bob Melvin, continuing a coaching partnership that has taken them from Oakland to San Diego and now San Francisco.
What makes Melvin so great to work with?
“I think he’s the ultimate communicator,” Williams said on a conference call with local reporters Thursday.
Williams, 57, is set to once again be one of Melvin’s most trusted advisors. As one of the biggest new names on San Francisco’s 2024 coaching staff that blends familiarity with Melvin, Bay Area ties and previous staff continuity, Williams is returning to the franchise where he became a star.
“It feels like it’s full-circle, to me,” Williams said.
Williams spent the first 10 years of his MLB career with the Giants, making four All-Star teams and finishing second in MVP voting in 1994. In that strike-shortened season, he finished with 43 home runs in 112 games.
He was teammates with Melvin, a backup catcher, for the first two seasons of his career, in 1987 and 1988. Melvin also coached Williams in Arizona at the end of his playing career, in 2001 and 2002. Their connection has lasted even longer.
“We have some history together,” Melvin said last week. “(He was a) fan-favorite when he played here, he’s always considered himself a Giant. This was an easy one.”
Williams said he and Melvin, after so many years of thinking so similarly, have somewhat of a telepathic baseball connection. They’ll each come to the same conclusions about sacrifice bunting or putting on a hit-and-run, he said.
“He reads my mind, and I try to read his,” Williams said.
One baseball topic both Melvin and Williams are aligned on: Matt Chapman. Melvin heaped praise on his former third baseman from the A’s on KNBR Thursday morning, and Williams only echoed that. Each described Chapman as one of their favorite players.
Chapman, a free agent, is expected to draw interest from across the league. In a thin position player free agent class, he and Cody Bellinger could be the only two everyday prizes. The Giants are desperate for star power and middle-of-the-order power, and although Chapman may not be a slam dunk on either front, Williams said he plays the brand of baseball symbolic of what the Giants should strive for.
“He’s one of my favorite players, not because he’s so good, but because of the way he goes about playing the game,” Williams said. “His work ethic is off the charts, he’s focused on one thing and one thing only — and that’s winning that particular game that day. He’ll do anything that’s needed from the club to help in that endeavor…he’s the best that I’ve seen at the position.”
If Chapman signed with the Giants, he’d reunite with Melvin and Williams — his manager and third base coach in Oakland.
Chapman — or other free agents — could view Melvin and Williams’ continued partnership as a sign of stability. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, and Williams clearly has an affinity for the manager.
“The game has changed over time, we all know that,” said Williams, the 2014 National League Manager of the Year. “But he has great relationship with his players, his staff. The door is open for everybody. He enjoys talking about the game, he enjoys everybody’s opinions and their feedback on how we can get better. For me, he just communicates very well. I think that’s why his players love to play for him. I think that’s why his players love to play for him. I think that’s why he’s had the success he’s had. He’s a great tactician, of course, but at the root of it all, communication is key. And he views that as very important amongst the guys who coach for him, amongst the guys who play for him.”