November 08, 2006
Does He Count as a Minority?
The San Diego Padres hire Bud Black to manage the team:
Black will be introduced at the team's awards banquet Thursday night, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement hadn't been made.
Black, who lives outside San Diego, has been the Angels' pitching coach for the last seven seasons. He played at San Diego State with Tony Gwynn and pitched in the big leagues for 15 seasons, helping the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series.
Dusty Baker, considered the leading candidate, said he was told Wednesday morning that he didn't get the job.
"Life's full of disappointments sometime and you have to deal with them," Baker said.
During his tenure as pitching coach, the Angels compiled the second best ERA in the American League (behind the Oakland Athletics), and the seventh best in the majors. Black also took the job of the dugout interviewee during ESPN Sunday Night Baseball and Fox broadcasts. It looks like the Padres are trying to maximize their strength, which is pitching.
Posted by David Pinto at
04:06 PM
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Management
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A pitching coach rarely becomes a manager at all. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any who have been particularly good managers. This is really an odd move.
Isn't Orel Hershiser being considered somewhere too?
Here in Red Sox Nation, we fondly recall the short reign of Joe Kerrigan, ace pitching coach and terrible manager. It's rare for a pitching coach -- or any ex-pitcher, for that matter -- to become a manager. I think it has more to do with the differences between pitchers and position players, than with any inherent flaw in pitching coaches. It's hard for a former pitcher to evaluate, and relate to, position players. And it may be hard for position players to accept the authority of an ex-pitcher.
Bud Black has been considererd a hot managerial prospect for a few years now, and may prove to be an exception to the rule. On the other hand, maybe they just wanted another BB to replace Bruce Bochy.
Roger Craig and Larry Dierker immediately come to mind as former pitchers who had some success as managers. And what about Leyland, who never played at all?
Oh yeah, Lasorda was a pitcher too. He was a decent manager, as I recall.
And don't forget Bob Lemon.
Lasorda, Craig and Dierker were all pitchers, but were they ever pitching coaches? I know Lemon was a pitching coach for a while.
Craig was a pretty renowned pitching coach. Don't know about LAsorda and Dierker. Not sure if it matters....I think the idea is that pitchers, because they aren't involved with the everyday team, are unsuitable to manage. I think it's hogwash.
