Going from black and orange to green, gold
Matt Williams has fond memories of playing for the Giants. His big-league debut. Four All-Star appearances. Four Gold Gloves. An RBI title. A National League pennant. All the relationships.
Then there’s the World Series, which doesn’t necessarily top the list.
“Not great memories,” Williams said, “because we never were able to get over the hump.”
Getting to the World Series was far more enjoyable and prosperous than the World Series itself for Williams’ 1989 Giants, who were swept in the Earthquake Series by the team he called “that juggernaut across the bay.”
That would be the A’s, who now employ Williams.
The former San Francisco third baseman is Oakland’s third-base coach under manager Bob Melvin, Williams’ old buddy and former Giants teammate.
These days, Williams is more interested in looking ahead to his new gig in green and gold — and, in his dual role as infield coach, working with promising third baseman Matt Chapman — than focusing on the Giant-
turned-A curiosity.
“I don’t think of it as rivalry. I think of it as an opportunity,” Williams said. “I’ve got a bunch of really talented young men to work with on the infield. That part of the game is really fun.”
Still, there’s no denying Williams’ place in Giants history as a popular and imposing hitter, a throwback player who didn’t smile much and kept his head down on home run trots so he wouldn’t show up the opposition.
He struggled in parts of three seasons while shuttling to and from Triple-A Phoenix but played regularly the final two months in 1989, hit a gamewinning homer against the Cubs in Game 4 of the NLCS and started World Series games at both third and short.
Williams had a breakout season in 1990 and led the league in RBIs. In 1994, he was on pace to challenge Roger Maris’ homers record of 61 before the players went on strike in mid-August.
Williams was shipped to Cleveland after the 1996 season in a trade for which rookie general manager Brian Sabean was unmercifully criticized, but it brought back Jeff Kent and others, and the Giants won the division in ’97.
Two decades later, Williams is back in the Bay Area and reunited with Melvin, who not only was Williams’ teammate for two seasons on the Giants but bench coach of the 2001 Diamondbacks team that won the World Series with Williams at third.
Melvin also managed the Diamondbacks for four years when Williams was part owner of the team, before Williams sold back his stake and managed the Nationals in 2014 and 2015.
“I think he’s a fantastic manager. I really respect him,” said Williams, who’s 52, four years younger than Melvin. “I watched him become Manager of the Year in Arizona, and I enjoyed playing under him when he was a coach. When he called and asked if I was interested, it was a breath of fresh air.”
Melvin called Williams in November when Chip Hale became the Nationals’ bench coach, creating a vacancy. Williams, who lives in Phoenix with his wife and teenage daughter — he has three older kids in their 20s — didn’t take long to say yes. He’s 15 minutes from the A’s training facility.
While working as a studio analyst for Giants pregame and postgame shows last season, Williams caught plenty of A’s games and highlights, and likes what he saw of Chapman, who has what it takes (soft hands, quick release, power arm) to be a future Gold Glover.
“He’s powerful, he’s athletic,” Williams said. “My objective is to find out what he wants to improve on defensively and help him do that. Anything negative that happens in the course of a game, I’ve done it. I know the feeling of having success and having failure, and hopefully I can help get him where he wants to be.”
Williams met Chapman for the first time Friday during a media availability on the eve of FanFest and noticed Chapman had “wild eyes.” Wild eyes? “Which means he’s focused and ready to get started, like a young horse ready to go,” Williams said.
Chapman said he’s looking forward to working with his new coach.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about him,” Chapman said. “I know he was a great player, so I want to learn from him and continue to get better. He seems like he’s passionate and wants to work with all the young kids, and that excites me.”
Melvin’s not the only one on staff familiar to Williams. The assistant hitting coach is former outfielder/first baseman Mike Aldrete, Williams’ roommate his first year in the majors. The bullpen coach is former catcher Marcus Jensen, who broke in with the Giants in Williams’ final season in San Francisco.
Looking back to those days, Williams cited several on-field folks who helped his early development, including managers Roger Craig and Dusty Baker (who also was Williams’ hitting coach for four seasons), coach Bob Lillis and teammates Bob Brenly, Mike Krukow, Chris Speier and, of course, Melvin.