Gary Pettis grew up an SF Giants fan rooting for Willie Mays. Now, he’s coaching third

MILWAUKEE — Gary Pettis is a product of Oakland. He earned his education in The Town, first at Castlemont High School, then at Laney College. The Oakland Coliseum was right in his backyard.

Pettis’ allegiances as a kid, though, resided with the team across the water.

Despite his Oakland roots, Pettis grew up a fan of the San Francisco Giants. His favorite player was Willie Mays, and Pettis wore Mays’ No. 24 with the California Angels, Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers in honor of the Say Hey Kid. He referred to himself as an “old, old Candlestick guy,” attending games at The Stick back when it had the aluminum bleachers and chainlink fence.

As the team’s new third base coach, the Bay Area native will finally get an opportunity to suit up for his childhood team.

“The cream-colored uniforms were always one of my favorites and I always wanted to wear it,” Pettis said. “Now, I get the chance.”

Pettis, 68, will take over San Francisco’s third base coaching duties on Friday at Wrigley Field as the Giants begin a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs. He will take over for longtime coach and special advisor Ron Wotus, who filled in as the team’s interim third base coach after Hector Borg was removed from the position 56 games into the season.

The Giants have metrically been the worst baserunning team in the majors, which has been due in part to a series of questionable decisions by Borg. While Borg had never been a third base coach in the majors before this season, Pettis brings 27 years of coaching experience, 22 of which have been in the majors, along with his 11-year playing career.

Pettis’ most recent coaching gig was as the Houston Astros’ third base coach from 2015 to 2024, working under Dusty Baker from 2020-2023. Before Houston, Pettis worked as a base coach for the Rangers for Ron Washington’s entire managerial tenure in Texas from 2007-2014. Under Washington, the Giants’ current infield coach, Pettis spent six seasons as first base coach (2007-2012) and two seasons as third base coach (2013-2014). Pettis was the first base coach for the Chicago White Sox (2001-2002) and New York Mets (2003-2004).

“Most people would say aggressive,” Pettis said when asked of his philosophy as a third base coach. “That’s the way I played, and that’s the way I coach. Being a former outfielder, I think I have an idea of what the tough plays might be to make an accurate throw home. Is an outfielder good going to his right or going to his left? Or, if he’s not so good. Most guys are pretty good coming in, but some guys have maybe a little tail on their ball, a little sink. Those are the things that I try to pay attention to.”

Despite his allegiance to the Giants, Pettis went to his share of Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum, which was about 40 blocks from his house. During Oakland’s dynasty in the early 1970s, Pettis watched the likes of Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and Bert Campaneris. In his early years with the California Angels, Pettis had the opportunity to play alongside Jackson from 1982-1986.

Pettis often crossed paths with fellow Oakland natives Rickey Henderson, Dave Stewart and Lloyd Moseby during his childhood. The four of them attended different high schools, but they got the opportunity to play together on Hank Thomasson’s Oakland Connie Mack league team. They played a tournament at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Los Angeles, but when they were one win away from going to the Connie Mack World Series, “the Oakland A’s snuck in and signed Rickey Henderson.

“We ended up losing both games,” Pettis recalled. “He was a guy that took over the game, even at 18 years old.”

Like Henderson, Pettis’ favorite player as a kid also had a knack for taking over a ballgame.

Pettis recalled a moment three or four years ago when he was the Astros’ third base coach under Baker. Baker was on a phone call while on the team bus when he suddenly handed Pettis the phone. The person on the other line happened to be Mays.

“I said, ‘Who is it?’ He says it’s Willie. Right away, I’m thinking Willie Mays,” Pettis said. “I answer the phone and I started talking to him. What a dream come true. Here I am, like 60 years old, but still so excited to talk with him. I remember the last thing he said was, ‘Whenever you’re up here, if you ever need anything, just let me know.’”

The process of bringing Pettis onto the staff happened relatively quickly once the organization moved on from Borg. Pettis recalled receiving a text message from bench coach Jayce Tingler on Sunday that president of baseball operations Buster Posey might be contacting him. Posey reached out on Monday, and Pettis agreed to join the team by late Monday morning.

“He really knows a good host of our other players and has interacted with them one way or another,” said manager Tony Vitello, “but ultimately, the key piece there is it’s about impossible to argue with his reputation in baseball, and in particular, his experience at third base.”

It was during his playing days that Pettis, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, became familiar with the Minasian family. General manager Zack Minasian’s father (also named Zack) served as the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse manager from 1988 to 2009, and the younger Minasian was a kid when Pettis played for the Rangers in 1990 and 1991.

“They were fun to be around,” Pettis said. “They would keep the clubhouse open for us late after games and they would all be there, hanging around, sitting around talking and just having a good time. I remember those guys very well.”

“I was five years old, and I don’t know if I’ve actually seen him face-to-face since,” Minasian said. “So, it’ll be fun to see him. Just nice to have that type of experience on the staff, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”

Pettis is far from the only person in his family who hails from the world of sports. His wife, Peggy, was a Raiderette cheerleader, while his son, Dante, played for the 49ers, Bears, Giants and Saints. His brother, Stacey, is an area scout for the St. Louis Cardinals, while his nephew, Austin, played four seasons for the St. Louis Rams.