Want to be part of the solution


Bud Black could have retired to his home near San Diego to devote his time and energy to his five grandchildren.

After all, Black has accomplished plenty during his 45 years in professional baseball. He has two World Series rings, one as a pitcher with Kansas City in 1985 and one with the Angels as their pitching coach in 2002. He’s managed 2,556 big-league games, 1,362 with the Padres and 1,194 with the Rockies. He was named National League Manager of the Year in 2010 with the Padres.

Yet, at age 67, he’s itching for at least one more season guiding the Rockies. Yes, those Rockies, who’ve lost 204 games over the past two seasons on Black’s watch.

All of which begs the question: Why return to manage a team that many baseball pundits and frustrated fans forecast as an NL West cellar dweller again in 2025?

“I’m invested in this team and this organization and I want to be part of the solution to see this through,” the ever-positive Black said last week during a phone interview. “More than anything, I think we are heading in the right direction, as far as our talent is concerned.”

Black loves talking baseball but hates talking about himself. Still, he’d like fans to understand why he’s returning for his ninth season in Colorado.

In 2017-18, he led the Rockies to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history. But since then, the Rockies have endured six consecutive losing seasons. He wants to turn that around ASAP.

“When I first got there, I just cared about ’17, that one season, and then take it from there,” he said. “Now that I have been here this long, I want to see us cycle back to where I think we can get to. I think that talent base is there.

“I think we are moving into a good spot, and a lot of it has to do with the pitching, I think that’s a big part of it. The talent of the pitching within our system is as good as it’s ever been. That’s the biggest thing that’s exciting to me.”

In 2024, Colorado starters combined for a 5.47 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP, both the worst in the majors. But Black is confident that a veteran rotation, possibly spiced with some help from the organization’s top prospects, will turn things around in ’25.

“When I came here in ’17, we had a veteran-laden bullpen and then went out and got proven closers like Greg Holland and Wade Davis,” Black said. “But our rotation was young when I got here. Jon Gray was in his second year and German Marquez, Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela were all rookies.

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