The Colorado Rockies fired manager Bud Black on Sunday amid the team's historically woeful 7–33 start to the 2025 MLB season.
There are many who feel Black, who had been Colorado's manager since 2017, was dealt an unfair hand when it comes to this year's roster and the lack of spending from ownership. Among that crowd is Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Roberts addressed the managerial change by the Rockies after the Dodgers' win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he didn't mince words when suggesting the team's struggles were not a result of Black's managing.
"I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ball club. That’s not the manager’s fault," said Roberts, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The late Stengel is one of the greatest managers in MLB history, yet Roberts made clear that he feels even he would struggle to get much out of the current Rockies roster.
While it's clear something needed to change within the organization, Roberts indicated he doesn't think Black deserved his fate. Roberts was part of Black's coaching staff on the San Diego Padres from 2011 to '15, and he clearly wasn't too pleased to see the way his old mentor was cast out by the Rockies.
The team lacks talent from top to bottom, and using the manager as a scapegoat is merely a way to deflect the blame from the true issue at hand: Colorado owner Dick Monfort's refusal to spend money and assemble a roster capable of competing.
Just one day after general manager Bill Schmidt voiced his support for Black, the Rockies pulled the plug on its longtime manager and named Warren Schaeffer as the interim manager.
Roberts sees the situation for what it is, and he came to the defense of Black after his ousting.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dave Roberts Comes to Defense of Bud Black After Rockies Move On.