OAKLAND, Calif. — The winningest manager in Oakland Athletics history is staying put through at least next season after the club exercised Bob Melvin’s contract option for 2022 on Tuesday.
Melvin has guided the A’s to an 808-715 record since taking over on June 9, 2011. He recently passed Tony La Russa for most victories by an Oakland manager and last weekend became the 35th person in major league history with 1,300 managerial wins.
His A’s teams have reached three straight playoffs, winning the AL West during last year’s shortened 60-game season. Oakland beat the White Sox in the wild-card round to stop a nine-game losing streak in winner-take-all postseason games, a major league record that dated to the 1973 World Series, before losing to the rival Astros in a four-game AL division series.
The A’s had lost six straight playoff series since sweeping Minnesota in the 2006 Division Series.
Melvin, 59, a Manager of the Year in both leagues, previously led the Mariners and Diamondbacks then took over guiding the A’s during the 2011 season following the firing of Bob Geren.
In 2012, Oakland became the first team in major league history to win a division or pennant after trailing by five games with fewer than 10 to play, sweeping three games against Texas to win the division over the Rangers.
The A’s have repeatedly expressed their commitment to having the Bay Area native and former catcher as their on-field leader, and he has handled the challenge of an ever-changing young team and a rash of injuries during his tenure to continue winning with a low-budget franchise.