The Colorado Rockies, who have fallen to the bottom of Major League Baseball, dismissed manager Bud Black (68). With a record of 7 wins and 33 losses, a winning percentage in the (.175) range and a pace that indicates 134 losses, it is strange not to fire the manager. However, this decision caught attention when Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (53) noted it.
Colorado won 9-3 against the San Diego Padres at home on the 12th (Korean time) and fired manager Black after breaking an 8-game losing streak. Also stepping down is bench coach Mike Redmond. Third base coach Warren Schaefer will take over as acting manager for the remainder of the season.
Bill Schmidt, Director General of Colorado, said in a local media interview a day earlier, “It is not the time to think about a change in manager,” but the dismissal announcement was made a day later. After suffering 8-game losing streaks three times this season, the team achieved one of the worst records over the first 40 games in history, along with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, making the firing of the manager inevitable. Mathematically, Colorado is currently on pace for 134 losses this season, likely surpassing the disgrace of the Chicago White Sox, who recorded a record high of 121 losses in a single season last year.
Manager Black, who led the team for nine years since 2017, guided the team to postseason play in his first two years, but failed to exceed a .500 winning percentage for the next seven years. With six consecutive postseason failures until last year and a three-year consecutive finish at the bottom of the division, Black's dismissal was just a matter of time. His record over nine years with Colorado stands at 544 wins and 690 losses (winning percentage .441). He is the manager with the most wins in franchise history, but the ending was disappointing.
Regarding the dismissal of Colorado's manager, Roberts expressed his discontent. According to 'The Athletic', Roberts said, “It's disappointing and regrettable. Frankly, even Casey Stengel could not change the team’s results right now. This is not the manager’s fault,” and added, “It seems the organization felt the need for a new voice or direction. However, in my view, there aren’t many managers better than Black. So it’s very disappointing. Clearly, this is not Black's responsibility.”
The Stengel mentioned by Roberts is the legendary manager who led the New York Yankees to seven World Series titles from 1949 to 1953. He is a renowned manager known for guiding legendary players like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966. In short, it means that no manager could save Colorado right now.
Roberts also has a connection with Black, having worked as a first base coach and bench coach for the San Diego Padres, which Black managed from 2011 to 2015. While he viewed it with more sympathy due to their personal ties, Roberts noted that the struggles of Colorado cannot be blamed solely on the manager.
Prior to the 2021 season, Colorado traded star third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals for rebuilding purposes, and after the season ended, the team did not re-sign starting shortstop Trevor Story and starting pitcher Jon Gray. This seemed to indicate a commitment to rebuilding, but unexpectedly brought in Kris Bryant with a record investment of $182 million over seven years before the 2022 season. For years, there was an ambiguous direction, neither fully committing to rebuilding nor to a win-now strategy, yet Bryant has faced injuries, making the list of disabled players nine times over the four years, becoming a free-agent bust.
Meanwhile, Dick Monfort, owner and CEO of the Colorado Rockies, announced Black's dismissal, stating, “This season's performance is unacceptable considering the last two seasons. We need to show a better game to our fans, and we can do that. While the responsibility for the current results lies with everyone, change is necessary. We will utilize the remainder of the 2025 season to improve our capabilities and evaluate the organization as a whole to make a proper transition to the next chapter,” and expressed gratitude to manager Black and coach Redmond for their contributions over the past eight years, saying, “I deeply appreciate both of their efforts and commitment, and I wish them the best in their future endeavors.”
The newly appointed acting manager Schaefer does not have any Major League Baseball playing experience but is an internal figure who has served as third base coach and infield defense coach for Colorado since 2023. Prior to that, he managed and coached in the minor leagues for ten years. Director General Schmidt expressed confidence, saying, “I believe Schaefer is the right person to lead the team for the remainder of the season. He will develop young talent and help us play better baseball. He is an excellent communicator who can connect well with both veterans and young players.”
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