Management

Looks like Charlie “O’  has managed to get himself nominated for the Baseball Hall Of Fame.  The A’s often eccentric and erratic manager along with 9 other candidates will vie for the coveted honor of being on the Veterans Committee ballot next month. This is considered quite an honor for both the team and management, even though Finley was not the most well liked person by both fans, players, other teams and even politicians.  This characterization of him however did not stop him from being one of the most successful managers in A’s history.  During his tenure he was able to lead the team [...]

I applauded Billy Beane and the rest of the Athletics organization for cutting ties with manager Bob Geren earlier this season, and took an instant liking to their replacement, Bob Melvin. The two managers share only the same first name, but Geren and Melvin definitely have different approaches to the game. Geren, according to several A’s players, was not very vocal, and leading up to the days before his firing, many cited Geren’s lack of communication as a reason behind the team’s early season troubles. Reliever Brian Fuentes outed his coach’s (Geren) questionable and unorthodox managerial skills, and ex-Athletics closer [...]

The Oakland A’s, as if it hadn’t been made clear already, is not a team worth watching, let alone a team with its eyes set on the division, after being swept by the Texas Rangers—a direct reflection on the team’s general manager, Billy Beane. The A’s were shut out for the 10th time on Thursday night, the first of a crucial four-game series with the AL West leading Rangers.  They followed that up with being shut out for the 11th time on Sunday, and the A’s fell to 39-53 and are now 12 games back of first place. Under normal [...]

Entering the 2011 season, the Oakland A’s were figured to be one of the better teams in the American League West. Hope surrounded the young A’s team that had a strong starting rotation capable of keeping the team competitive during the season, but injuries and a general feeling of frustration have the A’s nine-games under .500 in June. The team has come completely off the rails since March, as the team has dealt with various injuries to starting pitchers Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden, Tyson Ross, Brandon McCarthy, and Rich Harden. No amount of depth could’ve prepared the A’s for the [...]

In what has been a disappointing 2011 season, the Oakland A’s announced on Thursday that manager Bob Geren has been relieved of his duties. The recent downward spiral that has the team sitting in last place in the AL West, probably had a lot to do with the team’s decision to let Geren go. Filling in for Geren will be ex-Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin. Melvin, who was serving as a special baseball advisor for the Diamondbacks. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Melvin will officially take the reigns tonight in Chicago when the A’s begin their [...]

The Oakland Athletics entered the season with a certain sense of optimism, but two months into the season, the A’s have fallen off the rails a bit. Led by manager Bob Geren, the A’s have been annoyingly inconsistent at the plate, and as a result, the team has failed to support a very talented starting rotation. Critics of the A’s will likely point to the team’s inability to score runs as the primary factor holding the team from reaching its potential, but there are other factors in play when considering the reasons why the A’s haven’t lived up to their [...]

After dropping six straight games, the Oakland Athletics sit four game under .500, and three games out of first place in the American League West, at 22-26. While the A’s are still very much in the division race, it is hard not to notice the frustration that has been brewing in the Oakland clubhouse lately. After being put in a fourth-straight tied-game situation, A’s closer Brian Fuentes lashed out at manager Bob Geren, calling his managerial approach “unorthodox.” Fuentes, who became the team’s closer after Andrew Bailey suffered an injury, has lost four straight decisions to fall to 1-7 on [...]

The A’s remained relatively active on Monday, as the team announced that reliever Jerry Blevins was designated for assignment. Blevins, 27, was DFA’d to make room for starting pitcher Josh Outman, who rejoins the rotation after missing nearly two years due to Tommy John surgery. Blevins had some trouble this season in Oakland’s bullpen, posting a 4.40 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. Opponents had been hitting a cool .260/.394/.480 against the lefty this season. Outman, meanwhile, rejoins Oakland’s rotation after going 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA for them in 2009. He suffered an elbow injury in June of 2009, and [...]

The title probably has most of you shaking your heads in disagreement, as it’s still too early in the season to start thinking about a possible coaching change. But then again the A’s have remained annoyingly inconsistent under skipper Bob Geren. Not much has changed in Oakland since the conclusion of 2007 season, which marked Geren’s first year as the team’s manager. The A’s went 76-86 that year, then they followed up that season by going 75-86 in 2008. Granted, the A’s haven’t have the best of luck when it comes to keeping their players healthy, but Geren’s managerial skills have always been questionable. [...]

Entering the 2011 season, the Oakland A’s are highly optimistic about their chances in competing in the American League West this season. And while they have every reason in the world to be optimistic, manager Bob Geren has yet to prove he’s capable of leading a team into the postseason. Geren, who took over following Ken Macha’s dismissal after the 2006 season, has yet to post a winning record in his last four seasons as manager. The A’s, however, are hoping that their skipper can lead the team into the postseason this year. After all, fifth time is the charm, [...]