I bumped into Duane Kuiper before today’s A’s-Giants game. We talked about new A’s manager Bob Melvin, a former Giant. Kuiper said Mike Krukow preferred to pitch to Bob Brenly instead of Melvin. “Brenly was Krukow’s personal catcher,” is how Kuiper put it.

“Ask Bobby about that?” Kuiper said. “It ticks him off.”

So after Melvin’s pregame news conference, I said I had a question for him. I asked it and Melvin started laughing as he recalled the very first time he caught Krukow, back in 1986.

“I get to the ballpark,” he said. “I see my name in the lineup and Krukow’s pitching. The first thing I see is Krukow coming out of the manager’s office all pissed off. Second thing, we’re on the top step of the dugout. He’s going out to take the field. He says, ‘Oh, by the way, man on second two five pumps. Two and five are the fastballs. One’s a curve ball. Three’s a slider. Wiggle’s a change. Rolls over at five.’ He pats me on the butt as we go out to the field.

“That goes right in one ear and right out the other. I mean this is something you do well before a game. These are the series of signs on second base. So, I have no clue. And the first time we get a guy on second, I’m giving a sign and when he shakes me off he steps off the mound and looks at me. You know, one of these. (Melvin gives a totally disgusted look.)

“So now I’m really feeling good about myself. In about the second inning, I went out to the mound. I said, ‘Listen, you don’t throw hard enough to get it by me. I’m not even going to put down a sign. You throw it and I’ll catch it. Don’t worry about it.’

“The respect started right then and there. One of my favorite people in the game.”

“Do you mind if I write that?” I asked.

“I think he’d get a kick out of it. It’s not like he didn’t know it happened.”