Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28, 1961) is an American professionalbaseballmanager and formercatcher who is the manager of theSan Francisco Giants ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). Melvin has been namedManager of the Year three times.

Bob Melvin
Melvin in 2017
San Francisco Giants – No. 6
Catcher /Manager
Born: (1961-10-28)October 28, 1961 (age 63) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
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 atBaseball Reference
Managerial record at Baseball Reference
Teams
As player Detroit Tigers (1985) San Francisco Giants (1986–1988) Baltimore Orioles (1989–1991) Kansas City Royals (1992) Boston Red Sox (1993) New York Yankees (1994) Chicago White Sox (1994) As manager Seattle Mariners (2003–2004) Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2009) Oakland Athletics (2011–2021) San Diego Padres (2022–2023) San Francisco Giants (2024–present) As coach Milwaukee Brewers (1999) Detroit Tigers (2000) Arizona Diamondbacks (2001–2002)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2001) 3×Manager of the Year (2007, 2012, 2018)

Selected in the first round, second overall, by theDetroit Tigers in the secondary phase of the1981 draft, Melvin was acatcher for the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants,Baltimore Orioles,Kansas City Royals,Boston Red Sox,New York Yankees, andChicago White Sox during a 10-year playing career from 1985 through 1994.

In his 20-year managing career Melvin has led theSeattle Mariners (2003–04),Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–09),Oakland Athletics (2011–21), andSan Diego Padres (2022–23). Melvin was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2007, and theAmerican 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 (behindConnie 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 inPalo Alto, California, to Paul and Judy (Levitas) Melvin, and grew up inMenlo 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 celebratingPassover with his mother's family.^[8][9] He was raised as aChristian.^[10]

Through 2021, he was one of seven Jewish managers in MLB history.^[11][12] The others wereGabe Kapler,Brad Ausmus,Jeff Newman,Norm Sherry,Lefty Phillips, andLipman Pike.^[12] Melvin's maternal grandfather, R.B. "Bud" Levitas, was the originalballboy in the 1920s for theAcme Packers (precursor to the Green Bay Packers), and later married Melvin's maternal grandmother, Leah Levitas, who died in 2007.^[4][13]

He resides inBerkeley, California, and inGreenwich 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 theJuvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Alexi was diagnosed withjuvenile diabetes at age 14.^[16][19]

After attending Laurel and Encinal elementary schools in Menlo Park, Melvin played baseball (atcatcher), basketball (atforward), and golf atMenlo-Atherton High School inAtherton, south ofSan Francisco, graduating in 1979.^[20][21] He batted .474 with 11home runs for the baseball team, including .529 his senior year when he was named to theSan 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 theUniversity of California inBerkeley, and played catcher for theGolden Bears. As a freshman, he helped lead Cal to a 44–23–1 (.654) record and a third-place finish at theCollege World Series in1980.^[20] Melvin finished his freshman season batting .269 with twodoubles and 12RBIs in 67at bats over 29 games.^[22]

Following his freshman year at California, Melvin transferred toCañada College inRedwood City, California.^[23] He played fall ball for the baseball team.

Melvin was selected in the 1st round (2nd pick) by theDetroit Tigers in the secondary phase of the1981 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, andChicago White Sox. As a Tiger, he backed upLance Parrish, and as a Giant, he served as the backup for fellow catcherBob Brenly, who, like him, went on to manage the Diamondbacks.^[22] During his winters in San Francisco, he interned atBear Stearns.^[25][26]

In 1987, he caught stealing 42.9% of attempted base-stealers, second-best in theNational League.^[24] In 1991, Melvin turned fivedouble plays at catcher, fifth-most in theAmerican League, despite playing in only 79 games.^[24] Melvin finished his career with abatting 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 ManagerSal Bando in 1998.^[1] He began his coaching career as ManagerPhil Garner'sbench coach from 1999 to 2000, first with the Brewers in 1999 wearing #12 (during which time he also managed theMaryvale team in theArizona 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 managerBob 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 theSeattle Mariners in2003 and2004, following a ten-year run ofLou 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 theOakland Athletics in the division, and two behind theBoston Red Sox for the onewild 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 firedWally 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 aNational 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 theChicago Cubs in theNLDS, but then were swept themselves in theNLCS by theColorado Rockies.

Melvin was named National LeagueSporting News Manager of the Year and MLBManager 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 byA. 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 the2009 season, Melvin was a candidate to be the next manager of theHouston Astros.^[32] However, the position was filled byBrad Mills.^[33] He was interviewed by the Milwaukee Brewers for their managerial opening in October 2010, and was believed to be a finalist along withBobby Valentine,Joey Cora, andRon 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 CEODerrick Hall.^[1]

On June 9, 2011, Melvin was named interim manager of theOakland Athletics followingBob 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 issuingintentional walks per game of all AL managers, at 0.2%.^[38]

Melvin went on theChris Townsend Show in theBay Area after the first game of the2012 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 since2006, 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 fewestpinch runners per game of all AL managers, at 0.10.^[39] The Athletics faced theDetroit Tigers in theDivision 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 the2013 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' outfielderJosh Reddick referred to Melvin as the "King of Platoons" due to his extensive use ofplatoons.^[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 theDivision 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.

In2014, 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 anAL Wild Card berth on the final day of the season.^[43] They played the Kansas City Royals in the2014 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 elevensacrifice 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 mostpinch hitters per game of any AL manager (0.79), and the fewestpinch 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 pastTony 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 managerConnie Mack. His 1,346 wins ranked 34th in MLB history.^[51] Among active Major League managers, onlyDusty Baker, andTerry 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 theSan Diego Padres. He signed a three-year contract.^[53]

In his first season as manager, Melvin led the Padres to thepostseason, the Padres first playoff berth in a full season since2006.^[54] In theWild Card Series, against theNew York Mets, the Padres defeated the Mets 2-1 to advance.^[55] Under Melvin, the Padres defeated the 111-winLos Angeles Dodgers three-games-to-one in the2022 National League Division Series,^[56] but lost the league championship series to thePhiladelphia 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 behindBruce Bochy (2,093) andBuck 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]

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career ejections
• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins

• Career statistics fromMLB, orESPN , orBaseball Reference, orFangraphs , orBaseball Reference (Minors), orRetrosheet 
• Bob Melvin managerial career statistics atBaseball-Reference.com