It’s a given that Oakland GM Billy Beane didn’t want to let his close friend go: Bob Geren was the best man at his wedding. Still, the change needed to come with Geren having lost the A’s clubhouse.
In replacing Geren, the A’s chose a lesser baseball man but a better manager of people in Bob Melvin. Melvin often baffled with his lineup decisions in Seattle and he didn’t get a whole lot better in Arizona, but his players liked him and generally seemed to play hard for him.
Geren has had to deal with both current reliever Brian Fuentes and former reliever Huston Street bashing him in recent weeks. Former A’s backup catcher Rob Bowen has also chimed in, showing a strong dislike for his ex-manager:Finally the A’s have realized Geren has destroyed a dozen pitcher’s careers and doesn’t have a clue how to manage a big league club
As CSN Bay Area’s Ray Ratto puts it:
Melvin really has his work cut out for him now. The A’s are down three starters and their top rotation replacement in Tyson Ross. The offense is next to last in the AL with 223 runs scored, and the fact that part-timers Ryan Sweeney and Conor Jackson have actually been the team’s second- and third-best hitters behind Josh Willingham will make deciding on a lineup a tricky assignment each and every day.
Given the hand that Geren was dealt, I doubt the A’s would have any better of a record through 63 games had Melvin been handed the reins at the start of the year. Still, it was time for a change. Melvin was far from an ideal choice, but given what was available and the team’s need for harmony in the clubhouse, he’s probably the right man for now.
