Bob Melvin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
debut
May 25, 1985, for the Detroit Tigers
Last appearance
August 6, 1994, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.233
Home runs	35
Runs batted in	212
Managerial record	1,651–1,557
Winning %	.515
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)

Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28, 1961) is a professional baseball manager and former catcher. He is currently the manager for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bob Melvin has won the Manager of the Year award three times.

Melvin played as a catcher for 10 years, from 1985 to 1994. He played for several teams, including the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox.

After his playing career, Melvin became a manager. He has led five different MLB teams: the Seattle Mariners (2003–2004), Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2009), Oakland Athletics (2011–2021), San Diego Padres (2022–2023), and the San Francisco Giants (2024–present). He won the National League Manager of the Year award in 2007. He also won the American League Manager of the Year award in 2012 and 2018. This made him one of the few managers to win the award in both leagues and multiple times.

By the end of the 2023 season, Melvin had managed for 20 years. He had a total record of 1,642 wins and 1,548 losses. His teams made it to the playoffs eight times and won four division titles.

Bob Melvin's Early Life

Melvin was born in Palo Alto, California. He grew up in Menlo Park, California. His mother was Jewish, and his father was Catholic. He celebrated Passover with his mother's family. He was raised as a Christian.

Melvin is one of only a few Jewish managers in MLB history. His maternal grandfather, R.B. "Bud" Levitas, was a ballboy for the Acme Packers in the 1920s. The Acme Packers later became the Green Bay Packers.

Bob Melvin lives in Berkeley, California, and in New York City. He is married to Kelley, whom he met in 1982. They have a daughter named Alexi, born in 1988. Alexi is an actress, writer, and filmmaker. The Melvin family supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Alexi was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was 14.

High School and College Baseball

Melvin went to Laurel and Encinal elementary schools. He then attended Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. There, he played baseball as a catcher, basketball as a forward, and golf. He graduated in 1979.

In his senior year of high school, he batted .529 in baseball. He was named to the All-Central Coast Section baseball team. He was the first student to be inducted into his high school's Hall of Fame.

After high school, Melvin went to the University of California in Berkeley. He played catcher for the Golden Bears. In his first year, he helped his team finish third in the 1980 College World Series. He batted .269 with 12 RBIs.

After his freshman year, Melvin transferred to Cañada College in Redwood City, California. He continued to play baseball there.

Bob Melvin's Playing Career

Melvin with the Nashville Sounds in 1985

The Detroit Tigers picked Melvin in the 1981 draft. He started playing in the major leagues on May 25, 1985, when he was 23 years old. He played for 11 seasons, mostly as a backup catcher.

He played for the Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox. When he played for the Giants, he was the backup catcher for Bob Brenly. Brenly also later became a manager for the Diamondbacks.

In 1987, Melvin was very good at catching players trying to steal bases. He caught 42.9% of them, which was the second-best in the National League. In 1991, he made five double plays as a catcher, which was a lot for playing in only 79 games. Melvin ended his playing career with a batting average of .233 and 35 home runs.

Coaching and Scouting Career

After playing, Melvin worked for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was a scout in 1996 and an assistant to the General Manager in 1998. He started coaching as a bench coach for the Brewers in 1999. Then he coached for the Tigers in 2000.

From 2001 to 2002, he was the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During this time, the Diamondbacks won two division titles and the 2001 World Series. Melvin was inducted into the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bob Melvin's Managerial Career

Seattle Mariners (2003–2004)

Melvin became the manager of the Seattle Mariners in 2003. In his first year, the Mariners won 93 games. This was one of the best records for a first-time manager in MLB history. However, the team did not make it to the playoffs.

In 2004, the Mariners had a tough season and lost 99 games. Melvin's contract was not renewed. He finished his time with the Mariners with 156 wins and 168 losses.

Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2009)

Melvin became the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. He helped the team improve a lot. They won 77 games in 2005, which was 26 more wins than the previous year.

In 2007, Melvin led Arizona to win the National League West title with 90 wins. The Diamondbacks were the top team in the National League playoffs. They beat the Chicago Cubs in the first round. But then they lost to the Colorado Rockies in the championship series.

Melvin was named the National League Sporting News Manager of the Year and MLB Manager of the Year for 2007. People sometimes called him "The Mad Scientist" because he thought a lot about the game.

On August 14, 2008, Melvin won his 304th game as Diamondbacks manager. This made him the winningest manager in the team's history. He was fired as manager on May 8, 2009. He finished with 337 wins and 340 losses as the Diamondbacks manager.

Oakland Athletics (2011–2021)

Melvin with the Oakland Athletics

On June 9, 2011, Melvin became the interim manager for the Oakland Athletics. He was given the job permanently on September 21, 2011. He signed a three-year contract. The Athletics finished the 2011 season with 47 wins and 52 losses under Melvin.

In 2012, Melvin led the Athletics to a great season. They won 94 games and clinched their first playoff spot since 2006. They also won the American League West division. The Athletics played the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs. They lost the series in five games. Melvin was named the 2012 American League Manager of the Year. He was one of only a few managers to win the award in both leagues.

In 2013, the Athletics continued to play well. They won their second straight American League West Division Championship. They finished the regular season with 96 wins and 66 losses. They again faced the Tigers in the playoffs and lost in five games.

In 2014, Melvin's team had the best record in MLB at the All-Star Break. They made it to the playoffs as an AL Wild Card team. They played the Kansas City Royals in a thrilling game but lost in extra innings.

On July 29, 2017, Melvin won his 1,000th game as a manager. The Athletics extended his contract through the 2019 season. On October 29, 2018, he received another long-term contract. On November 13, 2018, Melvin won his third Manager of the Year award. He was only the 8th manager in MLB history to win the award three times. He led the team to 97 wins, even though they had one of the lowest payrolls.

On June 1, 2021, Melvin won his 798th game as Athletics manager. This made him the second-winningest manager in team history, behind only Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack. By the end of his time with the Athletics, he had 853 wins. He led them to six playoff appearances and three division titles.

San Diego Padres (2021–2023)

On November 1, 2021, Melvin became the 22nd manager of the San Diego Padres. He signed a three-year contract.

In his first season, Melvin led the Padres to the playoffs. This was the Padres' first playoff appearance in a full season since 2006. They beat the New York Mets in the Wild Card Series. Then, the Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had won 111 games, in the Division Series. However, they lost the championship series to the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 2023, Melvin led the Padres to 82 wins and 80 losses. His 1,517 regular season wins ranked him among the top managers of all time. He is one of 15 managers with eight playoff appearances in MLB history.

San Francisco Giants (2024–present)

On October 25, 2023, the San Francisco Giants announced that Melvin was hired as their new manager. He is the 39th manager in the team's history. He signed a three-year contract. On July 1, 2025, the Giants extended Melvin’s contract through 2026.

Managerial Record

See Also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins