Don McPeak-USA Today Sports
The Oakland Athletics have handed manager Bob Melvin a two-year extension that will last through the 2016 season. The American League Manager of the Year will look to put the Athletics back into the playoffs after making a very nice run last season with one of those patented Billy Beane teams.
Melvin will be entering his 10th season as a manager. He was hired by Oakland in 2011 replacing Bob Geren in June of that year. Since then, the Melvin-led A’s have gone 141-120 including a 94-win season last year leaping over the favorites in the AL West like the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels. The A’s defeated the Rangers on the final day of the season lifting them into the playoffs only to lose to the eventual AL Champion Detroit Tigers.
Previously, Melvin has held two managerial stints. His first one came in 2003 with the Seattle Mariners. In his first season with the Mariners he won 93 games and then in the second season he only won 63 games. Melvin was canned after the second season.
He stayed in the western United States in 2005 when he was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In three of the four full seasons with the Diamondbacks, he did not finish lower than second and won the National League Manager of the Year in 2007. However, in 2009, Melvin was let go after starting the season 12-17. Needless to say, he has started off well again in Oakland.
Oakland will be dangerous again and have an upgrade at shorstop with Hiroyuki Nakajima take over deep in the hole. Billy Beane did not make any crazy moves and I’m sure he is looking for another 90-win season.
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