The Royals fired general manager Allard Baird Wednesday. They will replace him with former Atlanta Braves assistant Dayton Moore. Kansas City signed Moore to a contract that runs through 2010 giving him about four years to turn around a team that has lost 100 games in three of the last four years.

Assistant general manager Muzzy Jackson will fill-in for Moore until he joins the team next Thursday.

Moore is the sixth general manager in Royals franchise history. He grew up a Royals fan in Wichita. The new general manager spent 12 years with Atlanta dealing with scouting and player development.