GOODYEAR, Ariz. – During the annual Cactus League media days press conference at the beginning of spring training, a reporter asked Oakland A’s general manager David Forst about one of his former players.
Forst looked to his left at San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin, the longtime A’s manager who was sitting one table over, and said: “Hey, he’s asking about Chad Pinder.”
Melvin immediately broke into a smile and responded, “what do you want to know? I could talk about Chad all day.”
Pinder was beloved in Oakland. He was the organization’s longest-tenured player until he reached free agency this winter and signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds.