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Wally Backman was manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks for less than a week and will be replaced by Bob Melvin.

Backman, who got the job on Monday, was fired Friday after reports this week of previous legal troubles. He had not signed a contract with the team, so there were no financial repercussions for the team.

"I'm stunned, so is my family, so is everybody," Backman told the Arizona Republic. "I'm not prepared to say anything today but I will definitely have a statement [soon]."

Melvin, was one of three finalists, along with Manny Acta and Backman, for the job.

"The goal here is to get us back to our glory days," Melvin said.

Melvin was Arizona's bench coach before he left to manage the Mariners for the last two seasons. Backman managed Arizona's Class A team in Lancaster, Calif., this season.

A Tuesday apology by Backman apparently wasn't enough for the team, which acknowledged that it had not done a thorough background check and didn't know about the brushes with the law.

"It's obviously a mistake on our part," Diamondbacks general partner Ken Kendrick said Friday.

Backman acknowledged this week that he was arrested in 2001 after an altercation with a female family friend at his home in Prineville, Ore. He said he agreed to plead guilty to fourth-degree assault. He was placed on 12 months' probation, ordered to undergo an anger management evaluation and donated $1,000 to the local Boys and Girls Club.

Backman was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence in Kennewick, Wash., in 1999, when he was manager of the Tri-City franchise of the independent Western League. He said he fought the charge for two years before pleading guilty.

He also has had financial problems, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last year, The Arizona Republic reported. Backman said many of the financial problems, including several tax liens he said he has paid, were caused by dealings of his then-wife that he was unaware of.

The Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Brenly on July 2 and replaced him with Al Pedrique, the former third base coach.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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