Bob Melvin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Melvin
Melvin in 2017
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1961-10-28) October 28, 1961 (age 64) 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	1,678–1,588
Winning %	.514
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 (2024–2025) As coach Milwaukee Brewers (1999) Detroit Tigers (2000) Arizona Diamondbacks (2001–2002)
Career highlights and awards
3× Manager of the Year (2007, 2012, 2018) World Series champion (2001)

Robert Paul Melvin, born on October 28, 1961, is a famous American baseball manager. He used to be a catcher, a player who catches the ball thrown by the pitcher. Bob Melvin has won the 'Manager of the Year' award three times in Major League Baseball (MLB).

He was picked early in the 1981 baseball draft by the Detroit Tigers. Bob played as a catcher for 10 years, from 1985 to 1994, for several teams like the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.

Over 21 years, Bob managed many teams, including the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants. He won the 'Manager of the Year' award in the National League in 2007. He also won it in the American League in 2012 and 2018. This made him one of the few managers to win the award in both leagues and multiple times.

Before the 2020 season, Bob was the manager who had stayed with one team, the Oakland Athletics, the longest. By 2023, his 853 wins with Oakland were the second-highest in their history. In his 21 years as a manager, he led his teams to the playoffs eight times and won four division titles.

Early Life and School Years

Bob Melvin was born in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Menlo Park. His mother was Jewish, and his father was Catholic. He celebrated holidays with both sides of his family.

His grandfather, R.B. "Bud" Levitas, was a ballboy for the Acme Packers in the 1920s. This team later became the Green Bay Packers.

Bob went to elementary school in Menlo Park. At Menlo-Atherton High School, he played baseball as a catcher, basketball, and golf. He was a great baseball player, hitting .474 with 11 home runs. He was even the first student to join his school's Hall of Fame.

College Baseball Career

After high school, Bob went to the University of California, Berkeley. He played catcher for the Golden Bears team. In his first year, he helped his team reach the College World Series in 1980, finishing in third place.

After one year, he moved to Cañada College and continued playing baseball.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Melvin with the Nashville Sounds in 1985

The Detroit Tigers drafted Bob in 1981. He started playing in the major leagues on May 25, 1985, when he was 23. For 11 seasons, he played as a backup catcher for many teams. These included the Tigers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees. He learned a lot from other catchers like Lance Parrish and Bob Brenly.

Bob was very good at stopping runners from stealing bases. In 1987, he stopped almost half of them! He also helped make many double plays. He ended his playing career with a batting average of .233 and 35 home runs.

Coaching and Scouting

After playing, Bob became a scout and instructor for the Milwaukee Brewers. He then started coaching as a bench coach for the Brewers and the Detroit Tigers. He also managed a team in the Arizona Fall League and was later added to their Hall of Fame. From 2001 to 2002, he was a bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During this time, the Diamondbacks won two division titles and the 2001 World Series.

Bob Melvin's Managerial Journey

Managing the Seattle Mariners (2003–2004)

Bob Melvin became the manager for the Seattle Mariners in 2003. In his first year, the Mariners won 93 games, which was a great start for a new manager! Even with many wins, the team just missed getting into the playoffs.

The next year, 2004, was tougher, and the Mariners lost more games. Bob's time as manager for the Mariners ended after that season.

Leading the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2009)

In 2005, Bob returned to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks. He helped the team improve a lot, winning 26 more games than the year before.

In 2007, Bob led the Diamondbacks to win their division, the National League West. They made it to the playoffs as the top team in the National League. They beat the Chicago Cubs but then lost to the Colorado Rockies.

For his great work in 2007, Bob was named the National League 'Manager of the Year'. People sometimes called him 'The Mad Scientist' because he thought deeply about the game.

By August 2008, Bob became the manager with the most wins in Arizona Diamondbacks history. Bob's time with the Diamondbacks ended in May 2009.

After leaving Arizona, Bob was considered for other managing jobs, like with the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. He also worked as a scout for the New York Mets and as an advisor for the Diamondbacks.

Years with the Oakland Athletics (2011–2021)

Melvin with the Oakland Athletics

On June 9, 2011, Bob became the interim manager for the Oakland Athletics. Later that year, he became their permanent manager. He helped the team improve, and they gave him a three-year contract. He was known for his smart strategies, like how his pitchers rarely gave intentional walks.

In 2012, Bob promised fans the Athletics would play hard. He led them to a fantastic July, winning 19 out of 24 games. The team made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and won the American League West division. They played against the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, losing in a close five-game series. Bob won his second 'Manager of the Year' award in 2012, this time for the American League.

The 2013 season was another strong one for the Athletics. They won the American League West division again! Player Josh Reddick called Bob the 'King of Platoons' because he was very good at choosing different players for different situations. They faced the Tigers again in the playoffs and, unfortunately, lost in another tough five-game series.

In 2014, the Athletics started the season incredibly well. They made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They played a very exciting, long game against the Kansas City Royals, but they lost in extra innings. Bob was known for his strategic choices, like using very few sacrifice bunts in 2015.

On July 29, 2017, Bob won his 1,000th game as a manager. The Athletics extended his contract, showing how much they valued his leadership. In 2018, Bob won his third 'Manager of the Year' award. He led the Athletics to 97 wins and their first playoff appearance in four years, even with a smaller budget than many other teams.

By June 2021, Bob had won 798 games as the Athletics manager. This made him the second-winningest manager in the team's history. By the end of his time with the Athletics, his 853 wins were second only to the legendary manager Connie Mack. He led the Athletics to six playoff appearances and three division titles.

With the San Diego Padres (2021–2023)

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

In his first season, Bob led the Padres to the playoffs in 2022. This was the team's first full-season playoff appearance since 2006. In the Wild Card Series, the Padres beat the New York Mets. Then, they surprised everyone by defeating the strong Los Angeles Dodgers. However, they lost the championship series to the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 2023, Bob led the Padres to 82 wins. His 1,517 regular season wins ranked him among the top managers in MLB history. He is one of only 15 managers to make it to the playoffs eight times.

Managing the San Francisco Giants (2024–2025)

On October 25, 2023, Bob Melvin was hired as the manager for the San Francisco Giants. He signed a three-year contract.

In 2024, the Giants finished with 80 wins. In 2025, the Giants won 81 games. Bob's time as manager for the Giants ended after the 2025 season. He finished with a record of 161 wins and 163 losses over two seasons with the team.

Managerial Record

Personal Life

Bob Melvin lives in Arizona. He has a daughter named Alexi, who was born in 1988 and is an actress. Bob and his family support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managerial wins and winning percentage leaders