Today, the Oakland Athletics fired manager Bob Geren and have replaced him with Bob Melvin.

I guess you could call it a changing of the Bobs.

Geren had been at the helm of the Athletics since 2007. The team never enjoyed a winning season under Geren although they did get to .500 in 2010. The Athletics have lost nine in a row and are presently eight games back of the defending American League champion Texas Rangers in the AL West.

Last month, Geren came under fire from Brian Fuentes, one of his relief pitchers, who criticized Geren’s communication skills or lack thereof. Fuentes’ sentiments were echoed by Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street, who previously pitched in Oakland under Geren. Street called Geren his “least favorite person I have ever encountered in sports.”

The Athletics were here in Boston last weekend and were just awful especially on defense. So I am not surprised by this turn of events.

So Athletics GM Billy Beane has turned to an experienced hand in Melvin who has previously managed the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2007, Melvin guided the D’Backs to a NL West Division title.

I don’t know if the Athletics will go from worst to first by the end of the season. But I suspect they will start playing better baseball.