Stephen Drew is on the disabled list, Brandon Webb won't return until June, and Chad Tracy has forgotten how to hit.

That's Bob Melvin's fault?

General manager Josh Byrnes put together a plodding, one-dimensional lineup that has to hit home runs to score.

That's Bob Melvin's fault?

Geez, it's incredible the Diamondbacks ever let Melvin near a major-league dugout.

A Diamondbacks source told the East Valley Tribune that Melvin will be fired before Friday's game against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field.

Melvin's dismissal seemed imminent after team president Derrick Hall's comments in an interview Thursday morning on KTAR (620 AM).

"We know something has to be done because we've been grossly underperforming for five-plus months and it's not fair to the fans, it's not fair to the organization, it's not fair to the young players performing below this team at Triple-A and Double-A that are ready for their opportunity," Hall said.

"A lot goes into consideration. Is it fair to put the blame on one man? No. Does it happen all the time in major sports? Yes. And sometimes teams do respond, players respond. I can tell you that the definitive decision is not there yet and there's so many different avenues that we can take."

Hall also said, "The bottom line is we've only played 28 games. We're four games under .500. But it's unacceptable, we believe, with this team. You really can't see where or point the finger of who to place blame on. It's collective. But there's something missing and it hasn't just been for 28 games this season. We had this collective offensive funk in spring training and we had it for the last five months of 2008 so something's got to give."

I'll agree with Hall that something had to be done. This isn't just a bad first month of the season. The Diamondbacks have played like dogs since May of last year. And, as the saying goes, since you can't fire all 25 players . . .

But know this: Firing Melvin will not fix what is wrong with this Baseball team. Melvin didn't get stupid after winning National League Manager of the Year in 2007. He's still the same meticulous, organized guy who is a great communicator, supports his players publicly and isn't afraid to get in their face privately.

Some will argue that Melvin and hitting coach Rick Schu, for whatever reason, have failed to reach guys like Young, Mark Reynolds and Byrnes in terms of the approach they take at the plate.

But if you're going to blame them for that, don't they deserve credit for Drew hitting .291 last year and Jackson .300. What about Justin Upton's hot streak that has raised his average to .294?

Or are the successes the players' responsibility and the failures on the manager?

As to the idea that Melvin managed too conservatively, don't guys, you know, have to get on base for a manager to call for a steal or hit-and-run?

Will the Diamondbacks get an initial jolt after they fire Melvin and bring in a new -- and louder -- voice? Perhaps. But those reprieves are almost always short-lived. Dave McGinnis was supposed to be a fresh and enthusiastic alternative to Vince Tobin as Cardinals coach in 2000, and he lost seven straight games to end the season.

No, Melvin didn't lose his job because he failed his players. He lost it because his players failed him.

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(c) 2009, East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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