Wow....accountability!! Imagine that Cubs fans!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/09/SP2P1JRRKF.DTL&tsp=1

(06-09) 11:29 PDT OAKLAND -- The Oakland A's fired manager Bob Geren Thursday following a horrendous stretch that has seen the team drop nine straight games.

Geren, who began managing the club in 2006, compiled a .470 winning percent (334-376) in his four-plus seasons with the club.

Former catcher Bob Melvin, who spent three of his 10 big-league seasons with the Giants and managed the Mariners and Diamondbacks, has been named interim manager for the remainder of the season.

Melvin will take over the team tonight in Chicago, where the A's hope to snap their skid against the White Sox.

Geren's season took a turn for the worst last month when then-closer Brian Fuentes criticized him for a lack of communication and inconsistent handling of the bullpen. The team's former closer, Huston Street, piled on, telling The Chronicle that Geren was one of the worst people he had encountered in the world of sports.

A's General Manager Billy Beane, a close personal friend of Geren's, defended the skipper at first but looks to have conceded to the fact that the team was spiraling downward.

Melvin, a 49-year-old Palo Alto native, compiled an overall record of 493-508 in seven previous seasons as a Major League manager from 2003-09 with the Seattle Mariners (156-168, 2003-04) and Diamondbacks (337-340, 2005-09).

In his rookie managerial season, he directed the Mariners to a 93-69 record in 2003. Four years later, he won National League Manager of the Year honors after piloting Arizona to a league-best 90-72 mark and the NL West Division title in 2007. Melvin also served as the Diamondbacks' bench coach on Bob Brenly's staff from 2001-02, when Arizona won the World Series in 2001 and the NL West in 2002.

In addition, he held positions as Phil Garner's bench coach for Milwaukee in 1999 and Detroit in 2000. Before that, he spent three seasons with Milwaukee in various capacities, serving as a scout in 1996, roving instructor in 1997 and as assistant to General Manager Sal Bando in 1998.

Most recently, Melvin had rejoined the Diamondbacks as a special baseball advisor to President & CEO Derrick Hall last month, assisting the baseball operations department and other business divisions of the organization.

Melvin graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park, Calif. in 1979 and later attended and played baseball at Cal.

The A's will hold a press conference later Thursday to announce more details.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

I forgot Melvin managed the Marlins

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Well played, IMU.

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I've heard some less than flattering things said about Bob Geren prior to his firing yesterday. What does it say when he was the "Best Man" at A's General Manager Billy Beane's wedding and is now the first manager fired in Bud Selig's Major League Baseball this season?

You all do realize that managaing since 2006 is a larger sample size than not even a full season right? Ok good.

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OH MY GOD! It is JUNE already and this talent-laden team sin't in first place, and it is OBVIOUSLY Mike Quades fault! He is a bad manager, a bad person, and his lack of hair is VERY unsettling in a press conference situation! He is clearly the worst manager ever, not winning with this all-star roster! He is bad, and should be fired immediately because there are so many great managers around who could make sure that the entire lineup hits better and the entire pitching staff pitches better!

Managing is very easy and getting this team to win should have been instantaneous for him! He should be fired immediately because his 2+ months of experience has given him plenty of time to show that he is a total failure as a manager and a person!

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!


PANIC! PANIC!! PANIC!!!

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IT IS OFFICIALLY TIME TO PANIC!
DO NOT REMAIN CALM!
DO NOT MOVE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION!

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