Bay Area Sports Guy – A’s extend manager Bob Melvin through 2016

The Oakland Athletics announced today that reigning AL Manager of the year Bob Melvin has been extended through the 2016 season.

Melvin took over for Bob Geren midway through 2011 and in a year and a half turned a group that had disappointed in 2011 into the most surprising Division Champions of 2012.

The A’s went 94-68 in his first full season at the helm with Melvin getting the most out of a very young team that got significant output from 10 rookies, including at one point an all-rookie starting rotation. The way that Melvin was able to manage the young team was a big part of the success of 2012 and a significant reason for the optimism that surrounds the team coming into 2013.

From Oakland’s press release:

The Athletics’ 94 victories represented a 20-game improvement from the previous season (74-88), the third biggest one-year turnaround in Oakland history. Melvin became the second manager in Oakland history to earn the BBWAA’s Manager of the Year award, joining Tony LaRussa (1988 and 1992). He also became only the 14th manager in history to win the award at least twice in a career, and only the sixth manager to win the award in both leagues. Previously, Melvin was named National League Manager of the Year with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007.

Oakland trailed Texas by five games with nine to play last season and became the first team in Major League history to rally from a deficit of five or more games with fewer than 10 games remaining to win a division or pennant. The A’s were also 13 games behind the Rangers on June 30, thus becoming only the fifth team in Major League annals to win a division or pennant after trailing by that large of deficit.

Under Melvin’s leadership, the A’s registered the best record (72-38) in the Majors after June 1. His 2012 club staged a Major League-leading 14 walk-off victories, including eight within a 16-game home stretch from June 21 through July 22. Yet, Oakland saved its best walk-off for last, rallying from a 3-1 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 4 of the ALDS against Detroit to shock the Tigers and extend the series to a fifth game.

Melvin, a native of Palo Alto who attended both Cal and Menlo-Atherton High School, has posted a 141-120 record (.574) since taking over the A’s reins. In his nine seasons of managing Seattle (2003-04), Arizona (2005-09) and Oakland (2011-12), he has registered a Major League career record of 634-628 (.502).

Lately it seems like if you’re looking for a potential great manager, direct your attention to the league’s backup catchers (George Kottaras, anyone?). Melvin played 692 games over 10 seasons, finishing with a career slash line of .233/.268/.337 while throwing out 32% of attempted base-stealers. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy played about half as much as Melvin (358 games over nine seasons), with a slash of .239/.298/.388 and a 29% CS rate from behind the plate.

Melvin’s career WAR (according to Baseball Reference) is 1.7, while Bochy provided 2.0 wins above replacement. Pretty safe to say their respective franchises believe they’ve provided more than a couple extra wins to their teams as managers.

but the division has not gotten stronger. the rangers lost josh hamilton. the angels lost haren & grienke. so, there is not one dominant team that will win like 100+ games.

Otis Byrd III

Yeah, you're right, the AL West hasn't gotten stronger. Also, the Astros are now in the AL West, so that weakens the AL West even more. Almost everyone in that division, including the Mariners perhaps, could get fat off the Astros. The Angels have gotten stronger though by adding Josh Hamilton. The top to middle of that lineup will be dangerous with Trout, Kendrick, Pujols, Hamilton, and Trumbo. Yeah, their rotation and pitching staff is more of a question mark with Haren and Greinke gone, as well as Ervin Santana, but they still have Weaver, C.J. Wilson, and they added Tommy Hansen from the Braves, and brought in Ryan Madsen as their new closer. With the way things look like right now, it will probably be an A's and Angels race in the AL West. The Rangers have had a weird offseason and losing Josh Hamilton and Michael Young will hurt them offensively. They still have Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, and Ian Kinsler. They added A.J. Pierzynski and Lance Berkman, which could help, but they can't replace Hamilton and Michael Young. Who knows, maybe they could still trade for Justin Upton (as a Giants fan, I wouldn't mind that) or possibly even sign Michael Bourn, but as of right now, it looks like the Rangers probably won't be as dominant as they were in recent seasons, even though I'm sure they will make it interesting in the AL West. They still have kind of a decent lineup without Hamilton and Michael Young, but not having them in the lineup, will be a blow for the Rangers though. I think it's safe to say the Mariners and the Astros won't be factors in the AL West this year, unless one of those teams has the type of season like the A's had last year.

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Slam

Buried in the article about Melvin's contract extension was " Wolfe looking into a 5 year extension at O.co Coliseum " .... COME ON, MAN !

Yeah, that is somewhat big news. It will be interesting to see if Wolfe ever does have a change of heart, and find a way to build a new stadium in Oakland, or if this will give him more time to get something worked out with the Giants regarding the territorial rights to San Jose. It's probably more than likely the latter. It's kind of too bad he's turning his back on Oakland though. I'm a Giants fan, but I think it would be better for the A's to stay in Oakland. Where in San Jose would the A's play if they moved there, and what would they have to pay the Giants if the Giants ever gave up the territorial rights to San Jose? But yeah, that is somewhat big news, yes.

topraman

With the loss of a few club house leaders it will be a challenge for the team to replicate last years numbers. Locking up the coach is a good move if he can continue the culture of winning for the team