Rockies Fire Manager Bud Black After Disastrous Start to Season

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have fired manager Bud Black after a disappointing 7-33 start, one of the worst in Major League Baseball history. The decision came a day after a devastating 21-0 loss to the San Diego Padres at Coors Field.

Despite a brief reprieve with a 9-3 win over the Padres on Sunday, which ended an eight-game losing streak, the Rockies management decided to make a change. Third-base coach Warren Schaeffer has been promoted to serve as the interim manager for the rest of the season, while hitting coach Clint Hurdle will step in as the interim bench coach.

Owner and chairman Dick Monfort expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s performance. “Our play so far this season, especially coming off the last two seasons, has been unacceptable. Our fans deserve better, and we are capable of better,” Monfort stated. He emphasized that the organization is responsible for these changes, and the focus will now shift to improving operations throughout the rest of the season.

Black leaves the Rockies after nine seasons, holding a franchise record of 544 wins to 690 losses, making him the winningest manager in team history. He produced back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018, but the team has since struggled, finishing with losing records in recent years.

Prior to the firing, general manager Bill Schmidt expressed faith in Black, believing the team could still bounce back this season. “I think our guys are still playing hard, and that’s what I look at,” he told The Denver Post.

The Rockies are currently sitting 19.5 games behind first place in the NL West and have been outscored by 128 runs this season. This poor start is marked by the worst run differential through the first 40 games since 1900.

As the Rockies prepare for a crucial road trip and the next chapter of their season, Montefort highlighted his commitment to making necessary changes and building a more competitive team moving forward.