Bob Melvin

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bob Melvin


width=250
position=Catcher / Manager
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1961|10|28
Palo Alto, California
debutdate=May 25
debutyear=by|1985
debutteam=Detroit Tigers
finaldate=August 6
finalyear=by|1994
finalteam=Chicago White Sox
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.233
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=35
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=212
teams= As Player
* Detroit Tigers (by|1985)
* San Francisco Giants (by|1986-by|1988)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1989-by|1991)
* Kansas City Royals (by|1992)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1993)
* New York Yankees (by|1994)
* Chicago White Sox (by|1994)As Manager
* Seattle Mariners (by|2003-by|2004)
* Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2005-present)
highlights=
* 2007 NL Manager of the Year

Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28, 1961, in Palo Alto, California) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and the current manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His cousin Tom Melvin is the tight ends coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. [http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/CoachBios.asp?coach_id=9]

Baseball career

As a player, Melvin played ten seasons, mostly as a backup, for the Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox. He finished his career with a batting average of .233 and 35 home runs. While a member of the Giants, he served as the backup for fellow catcher Bob Brenly, who also went on to serve as manager of the Diamondbacks.

During the by|2003 and by|2004 seasons he was the manager of the Seattle Mariners. His first year as a manager with the Mariners, the team won 93 games but failed to go to the playoffs. The Mariners decided not to extend his contract after the 2004 season when the team lost a total of 99 games. Melvin returned to the Diamondbacks, for whom he had previously been bench coach before being hired by the Mariners. Melvin was actually the second man hired for the job; originally, the Diamondbacks hired Wally Backman, who was fired without managing a single game due to revelations of past arrests and serious financial issues [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/11/05/backman.fired.ap/] .

Melvin led Arizona to a National League West title in by|2007, with a record of 90-72. The Diamondbacks entered the playoffs as the #1 seed in the National League. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS, but were then swept themselves in the NLCS against the Colorado Rockies. Melvin was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year and MLB Manager of the Year for the National League in 2007. His nickname given to him by Mark Grace is "The Mad Scientist", which was derived from his tendency to use various different line-ups to a high (and somewhat suprising) degree of success.

Personal life

Melvin resides in Cave Creek, Arizona with his wife, Kelley. He has one daughter, Alexi, who is an actress, currently studying in New York City. During the off season, Melvin and his wife frequently stay at their apartment in New York, with their daughter. Melvin and his family are also very active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation—his daughter suffers from Juvenile Diabetes.

Managerial records

Current through the end of the 2008 season.

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball managers in 2006
* List of Major League Baseball managers in 2007
* List of Major League Baseball managers in 2008

External links

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