Why Farhan Zaidi believes Bob Melvin is ‘perfect fit’ for Giants

Why Farhan Zaidi believes Bob Melvin is ‘perfect fit’ for Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

On Wednesday, the Giants announced the hiring of new manager Bob Melvin, whose ties to the Giants organization extend back decades to when he played for the franchise in the mid-’80s.

After Melvin’s introductory press conference, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Carlos Ramirez to explain why Melvin was the ideal choice for the Giants’ new manager.

“Keeping tabs on Bob [Melvin], reaching out last week, I think the people in San Diego talked about it, and they ultimately wanted to let Bob pursue this if it was something that he wanted. With his ties to the Bay Area, it was just a natural thing. He talked in the press conference about how this has kind of been a dream job for him, growing up in the Bay Area and playing for the Giants, so we’re really thankful that they [Padres] let this happen.

Melvin was born in Palo Alto and grew up in the Peninsula before excelling at Menlo-Atherton High School. The Bay Area connections continued during Melvin’s college years, as he played baseball at Cañada College in Redwood City and the University of California, Berkeley.

The former catcher then spent 10 years in the major leagues, playing for seven different teams, including three years with the Giants from 1986-1988.

Melvin has 20 years of managerial experience at the MLB level, with stints at the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, and most recently, the San Diego Padres.

Zaidi then explained that bringing in a manager with a track record like Melvin’s was the perfect outcome for the team in their search for a new skipper.

“For us, it was just the perfect fit,” Zaidi said. “As great as our other candidates were, to get someone with his experience and leadership characteristics, it couldn’t be a better fit for the Giants.

The impressive resume Melvin brings with him to San Francisco includes managing nearly 3,000 MLB games and appearing in the postseason eight times while earning three Manager of the Year awards throughout his illustrious career.

After missing the postseason in consecutive seasons, the Giants now forge ahead, hoping that Melvin becomes a hometown hero by getting this proud organization back on track.

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