Doug Melvin stepping down as Milwaukee Brewers g.m.

Doug Melvin, the former Texas Rangers general manager who has been the g.m. of the Milwaukee Brewers, will be stepping down.  Melvin is going to continue to "lead the team's baseball operations department before transitioning into an advisory role," according to the story on the Brewers' website.

Melvin was the Rangers' general manager from 1994-2001, inheriting a team with a good base of young talent which he then supplemented with key moves that helped lead the team to its first A.L. West titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999.  After being fired by owner Tom Hicks, who bought the team and inherited Melvin, he was hired by the Brewers at the end of the 2002 season.  It was a similar situation to what he had in Texas, where he took over a team with a good group of prospects and young players and added pieces to get the team to the playoffs in 2008 and 2011.  The Brewers were around .500 from 2012-14, and have been disappointing this year, as they currently are sitting in last place in the N.L. Central with a 48-65 record.

Melvin will forever be a part of Ranger lore as the guy who was in charge when the Rangers finally made the playoffs for the first time, and his reputation only improved in comparison to his successor in Texas, John Hart, who had a rocky four year run.