There is a possibility that San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin (62), who developed Kim Ha-seong (28) as the starting player, will step down before completing the three-year contract period.
On the 27th (hereinafter Korean time), America’s ‘The Athletic’ covered coaches whose futures are unclear after the season and also told a story about coach Melvin. Coach Melvin, who signed a three-year contract with San Diego in November 2021, has a contract period remaining until 2024, but his poor performance this year has sparked rumors of a feud with general manager AJ Preller, making his position unstable.
According to The Athletic, a San Diego player described the relationship between coach Melvin and general manager Preller as “irreparable.” General Manager Preller, who has been leading the team for 10 years since August 2014, is highly trusted by owner Peter Seidler. If someone is to blame for the poor performance, the weight leans towards Coach Melvin.
Last year, in his first year in office, Coach Melvin led the team to the postseason as a wild card with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses (a winning percentage of .549), then defeated the LA Dodgers in the division series and led them to the championship series. However, this year, despite great expectations as a championship candidate, they came close to being eliminated from the postseason with 78 wins and 80 losses (.494 winning percentage). The season has been so lethargic that the team has not recovered its winning percentage to .500 since May 12th.
The Athletic said, ‘If General Manager Preller fires Coach Melvin, he will appoint the sixth coach in 10 years. “Most general managers are fired before even completing half of that number,” he said. “General Preller is favored by owner Seidler, but San Diego CEO Eric Groupner said he would conduct a thorough review of the entire club.”
In an interview with San Diego local radio station ‘97.3 The Fan’ on the 23rd, Groupner said, “Winning can cover a lot of things, but failure reveals everything. “The current situation is difficult, but it is not always an opportunity, so we must make the most of it,” he said, adding that a comprehensive evaluation of the club will be carried out. The results are expected to determine the future of General Manager Preller and Coach Melvin. As the conflict is known to be deep, it does not seem easy to coexist any longer.
On the 19th, The Athletic raised the responsibility of General Manager Preller, who was personally involved in the scene and even planted ‘spies’ everywhere. Coach Melvin’s leadership was also hurt as the results continued to deteriorate and criticism of the coaching staff continued. Director Melvin, who has been a coach for 20 years this year, is a master who has received the Coach of the Year award three times. 토토사이트
“Preller may be one of the best evaluators of talent, but that doesn’t mean he knows how to deal with people,” one player pointed out. “Preller, he’s looking for someone to push the superstars he’s recruiting,” a former coach said. Most of the players responded favorably to Coach Melvin. Veteran shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who joined San Diego this year, also said, “He is a great manager and a great person. He supported Coach Melvin, saying, “The communication method is also excellent.”
Ha-Seong Kim has also established himself as a starting player since Coach Melvin arrived last year. Ha-seong Kim said, “After the coach changed, my playing time increased. He expressed his gratitude, saying, “The director always believes in me and is considerate of me.” From Kim Ha-seong’s perspective, it would be nice to continue working with director Melvin, who knows and trusts him, but he cannot guarantee it at the moment. Kim Ha-seong’s feelings must be quite complicated as he faces a conflict between the general manager who brought him in and the coach who raised him as a starting player.