For two seasons under Jayce Tingler the Padres had an intense, experienced 3rd base coach who also served as the infield instructor.
In their first season under Bob Melvin the Padres are probably going to have an intense, experienced 3rd base coach who also serves as the infield instructor.
Matt Williams is expected to take over the role Bobby Dickerson played for a couple of years in San Diego. The club has not officially confirmed the hiring yet.
Williams was the 2014 National League Manager of the Year with Washington and spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as Melvin's 3rd base coach in Oakland. He spent the last two seasons managing in the Korean Baseball Organization.
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As a player, Williams earned the reputation as one of the toughest infielders in the game. He won four Gold Glove Awards, went to the All-Star Game five times, and played in three World Series (winning it with the Diamondbacks in 2001).
As much as we hate to talk about 1994 here in San Diego the late, great Tony Gwynn's chase for .400 wasn't the only potential historical season wiped out by labor unrest. When the season ended Williams had 43 home runs and was on a pace to hit 62, which would have set the single-season record four years before Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's steroid-fueled slugfest to pass Roger Maris.
The only major piece of Melvin's staff that remains unfilled is 1st base coach.
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