The San Francisco Giants have their new manager.
After parting ways with Gabe Kapler after four seasons with the team, they announced Bob Melvin as their new skipper starting from the 2024 campaign.
OFFICIAL: Bob Melvin has been named Manager of the #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/tJbk6lzB6m
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) October 25, 2023
Melvin had spent the last two years with the San Diego Padres, and prior to that, he managed the Oakland Athletics for 11 years, from 2011 to 2021.
He also had stints with the Seattle Mariners (2003-04) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-09).
Melvin has won 1,517 games at the MLB level and boasts a .516 winning percentage.
He hasn’t been as good in postseason play, with a 16-23 record and a .410 winning percentage, but Giants fans are happy to welcome him as their next skipper.
Some of them took shots at Kapler, but expressed their happiness that the Giants got Melvin.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Smash Mouth (@smashmouth) October 25, 2023
Welcome Home. pic.twitter.com/w7j3T6ADBO
— Pete Halvorsen (@petehalvorsen) October 25, 2023
Padres fans are undoubtedly disappointed to see him go, especially since he was under contract and the team granted him permission to talk with the Giants.
Coming from a Padre fan,
I am going to miss him.
Really appreciated him as a manager for San Diego.— Dale Huntington (@dalehuntington) October 25, 2023
Others blamed GM A.J. Preller for having too much influence in managerial decisions.
This is what happens when you bring in a great manager like Bob Melvin and put handcuffs on him.
He leaves at the first opportunity.
Hiring a manager is going to be a problem for the Padres as long as AJ Preller is our GM.
— Eddie O (@SquadNation619) October 25, 2023
In any case, a new era is about to start for both teams.
The relationship between Melvin and the Padres was surely good last year, when he took the team to the National League Championship Series.
This year, however, it’s not hard to imagine things getting sour considering the huge expectations associated with the organization and the fact they couldn’t even make the postseason.
The Padres are already looking for a new manager.
The Giants’ relationship with Kapler had also eroded a bit, and he was fired when the team failed to make the playoffs.
Things are about to get really interesting in the NL West.
The post Fans React To Giants Officially Hiring Bob Melvin appeared first on The Cold Wire.