The Friar Faithful were caught off guard with the announcement of former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black joining the front office as an advisor. The hire provides an additional voice for Craig Stammen as he prepares to transition from a front office executive to a field manager.
Black’s resume is impressive
His resume is quite impressive, as Black has managed in the majors for parts of 18 seasons. He served as Padres manager from 2007 to 2015 and was the Colorado Rockies skipper from 2017 to 2025. His time in Denver saw him lead the franchise to back-to-back postseason berths in 2017 and 2018.
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Black is the second-winningest manager in Friars history with 649 victories. Heartache is part of his legacy with the franchise, as Black never led the ballclub to a postseason berth.
Who could forget the Padres losing a one-game Wild Card playoff game against the Rockies in 2007? The Friar Faithful are still waiting for Matt Holliday to touch home plate.
Black’s 2010 team fell apart and squandered a six-and-a-half game lead atop the National League West in August. A small consolation for him was being named NL Manager of the Year in the winter award season.
Along with two managerial stints, he served as Special Assistant to the General Manager for the then-Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999. Black held the same position with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.
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His other on-field positions include serving as the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000 to 2006. His staff played a crucial role in capturing the 2002 World Series title. Black also won 121 games with five different major league franchises during his 15-year playing career.
Black offers becoming a trusted mentor to Stammen
No one was quite sure what Black’s next career move would be after the Rockies let him go last summer. He could have taken time off and recharged the battery while waiting for a call from an organization about his interest in managing again.
Instead, Black joined the Padres’ front office. Stammen has an opportunity to learn from a man who had some success as a major league manager. His experience will help him navigate through those rough stretches that occur in a baseball season.
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The goal is for Black to become another sounding board for Stammen to bounce potential game strategies off of, discuss how to balance a batting order, and address other issues that arise. Given the complexity of the managerial role, he should seek insight from a respected former skipper.
There is no hidden agenda, as Black wants to offer guidance and not apply for his job. Managing egos inside the locker room can be as difficult as the games themselves.
I may be naive, but I’m calling this potential mentorship a friendly conversation between two individuals who have a great passion for baseball.
Stammen has never managed at any professional level, but Black could become an invaluable asset to his development. His baseball journey includes working in different capacities within several organizations.
Black’s vast knowledge will help Stammen make a smooth transition.
