Bob Melvin Agrees to 3 Year Contract Extension with A’s
By Editorial Staff
Bob Melvin can now strip off the interim tag he has worn for much of the 2011 season. The Oakland A’s announced today that they plan on keeping Melvin around as their manager for the next several seasons, as the sides agreed on a three year contract extension.
Melvin took over the A’s in the beginning of June after the club fired former skipper Bob Geren. At the time, Melvin was inheriting a fairly uninspiring bunch.
Oakland got off to a slow start this season, but battled back to two games over .500 by the middle of May. Things then got bad in a hurry for the A’s.
The clubhouse had reported issues of communication problems to go with their rash of injuries, leading to losing streaks of six and nine. It was after this second futile stretch that Geren got the ax.
Melvin was able to pick up the pieces in a hurry, leading the club to wins in 7 of its first 10 games under his leadership. On the year, the A’s have gone 42-49 under Melvin.
General manager Billy Beane stated that decisions regarding the current managerial staff would be put on hold until the offseason. Even though this was the case, many around the organization expected to see Melvin return for the A’s next season, so the announcement wasn’t much of a surprise.
Melvin has managed three clubs over parts of eight seasons. The 49 year old made his Major League managerial debut in 2003 with the Seattle Mariners. Melvin led the team to a record of 93-69, but the Mariners tanked in 2004 and Melvin was released.
The Arizona Diamondbacks offered Melvin a job as their skipper the following year. Over his five years with the Diamondbacks, Melvin compiled a record of 337-340 and was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2007. Arizona fired Melvin in the beginning of 09, and he had played the role of bench coach until his promotion in June.
For more on the Athletics, be sure to check out Swingin’ A’s.