Chili Davis named A’s hitting coach

Chili Davis will be reunited with A's skipper (and former Giants teammate), Bob Melvin.

Former San Francisco Giants catcher Bob Melvin has hired former Giants outfielder Chili Davis as his new hitting coach in Oakland, according to Red Sox reporter Maureen Mullen.

Davis, 51, was the hitting coach for Boston’s Triple-A team in 2010-’11.

Davis and Melvin played together in San Francisco back in 1986 and ’87, when Melvin was the Giants’ backup catcher (behind Bob Brenly) and Davis was in his final two seasons in the black and orange.

The Giants drafted Davis in the 11th round of the 1977 June amateur draft and by 1982, he was already becoming a fan favorite in San Francisco.

Davis batted .261 with 27 doubles, 19 HR and 76 RBI in his rookie year (1982) and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He finished his Giants career batting .267 with 101 HR, 418 RBI and two All-Star appearances in seven seasons.

He became a free agent in 1987 and signed with the California Angels. In 19 Major League seasons, Davis batted .274 with 350 homers and 1,372 RBI.

Now, Davis will work with up-and-coming hitters like Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weeks, who, like Davis are extraordinary switch-hitters.