Update: Former Padres Manager Bob Melvin was declared Giants new manager Oct. 5
Gabe Kapler who coached the San Francisco Giants for the past 4 seasons was unexpectedly fired on Sept. 29 2023. Despite a successful season in 2021, Giants fans were suspicious of the manager’s intentions for how he ran the team.
Complaints surrounded the media that the bullpen wasn’t run fairly, players were constantly getting injured, and Kapler wouldn’t allow players to participate during the national anthem. His controversial actions caused concern among the team and fans.
Shortly after Kapler’s firing, fans speculated that former Giant all-star player Buster Posey had moved back to San Francisco from his hometown in Georgia. Curiosity grew that he would come back as the new manager of the team, which would make an impact on MLB history.
Melvin grew up in the Bay Area and shares local ties from managing the Oakland Athletics in 2011-2021 to returning after two years managing the Padres. If Melvin sees his bond with the Bay Area as a blessing for the Giants Management team, then it could likely bring them back on track for next season.
Shortly after Posey’s retirement, he moved back to his home state Georgia to spend more quality time with his wife and kids after the strain of being involved with the Major League took a toll on his family life. This is a major reason why Buster Posey doesn’t want to step in and manage the Giants because he wants to make the Posey family his first priority.
Reid Bronson (‘26) has been a Giants fan since the age of five and spoke about his view on Kapler’s management throughout all the ups and downs of the four seasons he managed.
“Gabe Kapler was pretty bad in my opinion,” Bronson said. “I was kind of hoping he would fill that void, but he didn’t really step into Bruce Bochy’s shoes. People saw him as an icon in the managerial position but he wasn’t bringing anything to the table.”
Bronson also spoke about his view on Bob Melvin as the new manager.
“I feel like he’ll bring a little more experience to the table, especially since he’s from the Bay Area. I feel like the bond is going to be there with the fans, and he’s going to bond the players together because he shares more qualities with the rest of them,” Bronson said.
However, Buster Posey’s potential as a manager is still only speculation.
“I was going around hoping that the Giants were going to have Buster Posey be the manager,” Bronson said. “He’s one of the highest-level players within the Giants organization. He knows what it takes to win.”
Though the Giants struggled during their 2023 season with Gabe Kapler, the San Diego Padres also went through obstacles during this year’s season while they had Melvin as their manager. This led them to stay put in third place in the NL West division and had Padres fans not sharing the hope of Bob Melvin treating the Giants well for the next season if they already didn’t benefit from his management.
Daniel Nava (‘25) has been a Padres fan since he was a little kid. He spoke about Bob Melvin and his guidance throughout their previous seasons.
“He could’ve done better with us. Should’ve done way more better,” Nava said. “I feel like since he went for the Giants it’s going to go downhill for them. It’s his decision if he wants to go somewhere else, so we’ll be better without him. We’ll never fall apart. We have Tatis Jr and Juan Soto (update: Soto was traded to the Yankees), they’re great players.”
The Giants have high hopes for the first season with Bob Melvin as a new manager. Hopefully, a good outcome can be achieved from both ends within the next spring.
