Oakland Athletics' Willingham and DeJesus celebrate after a two-run home run during their MLB baseball game against New York Yankees in Oakland
Oakland Athletics baserunner Josh Willingham (R) celebrates with baserunner David DeJesus after Willingham hit a two-run home run during the first inning of their MLB American League baseball game against the New York Yankees in Oakland, California June 1, 2011. Reuters

Oakand Athletics fired its manager Bob Green, 49, Thursday, replacing him with Bob Melvin, 49, who is a former Major League manager.

Myself and my staff, as we'd been around the last few weeks or last month or so, it felt like a change was necessary, A's general manager Billy Beane said while announcing Green's firing.

Recently, A's lost their game against Orioles. It was their ninth loss in a row, relegating the team to the bottom of the pile in the American League West this year. As the manager of Oakland A's, Green has a 334-376 win-loss record, including a 27-36 mark this season.

Green's firing is significant as this is the first time in Oakland A's 25 years history to replace its manager during the season.

Beane has a lot of expectation on Melvin, saying Bob's got the rest of this year to make an impact.

Major league baseball