The Texas Rangers announced today that the contracts of Executive Vice President-General Manager Doug Melvin and Manager Johnny Oates have each been extended two years through the 2002 season. No further terms were disclosed.
Johnny Oates and Doug Melvin have done an outstanding job in building the Texas Rangers into one of the most successful teams in the Major Leagues,” commented Tom Hicks, Rangers Chairman of the Board and Owner. “The franchise has made significant strides on both the major league level and in the scouting and player development areas.
“I have a great deal of confidence in Doug and Johnny as they continue to work towards our goal of bringing a World Championship to the Texas Rangers. I am very pleased to announce these extensions today.”
Melvin signed a three-year contract when he was hired by the Rangers on October 10, 1994, and received one-year extensions on November 21, 1996, November 25, 1997, and November 7, 1998. He has spent 28 years in baseball, working with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles before joining the Rangers as the team’s sixth General Manager. Melvin was selected as the Major League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1996 and by Baseball America in 1998.
Oates signed a two-year contract to manage the Rangers on October 19, 1994, and received one-year extensions on November 6, 1995, November 21, 1996, November 25, 1997, and November 7, 1998.
He is currently 418-362 in five seasons as manager of the Rangers, ranking second on the team’s all-time list in games (780, one tie), wins, and winning percentage (.536) and guiding the team to American League Western Division titles in 1996 and 1998. Oates is a two-time recipient of the American League Manager of the Year from The Sporting News (1993 and 1996) and shared the 1996 A.L. Manager of the Year Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America with New York’s Joe Torre. He has a major league career managerial record of 709-632 (.529).