Story Photos
 Photo by Associated Press San Diego manager Bud Black puts his arm around pitcher Justin Germano after the Padres' 3-0 victory over St. Louis on May 13. |
Longview native Bud Black has Padres on track, and no one seems surprised
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 7:34 AM PDT
By Rick S. Alvord
Printable version
E-mail this articleSEATTLE ---- It's a quiet Sunday morning inside the visiting clubhouse at Safeco Field, a little more than two hours until Bud Black's San Diego Padres are scheduled to play the Mariners in the final game of their weekend interleague series.
Yes, they are Black's Padres now. On Nov. 9, 2006, the Longview native was hired by San Diego owner John Moores as the 16th manager in franchise history.
It's an elite club Black belongs to now. Only 30 men on the planet are trusted with the keys to a Major League team.
Never mind that it is Black's first managerial position ---- at any level. He prepared for this. He was the right man for the job.
And there's at least one future Hall of Fame pitcher in Black's clubhouse who thinks so.
"My impression of Bud since he's been here is that he's a professional and knows how to get things done in a professional way," said right-hander Greg Maddux, a 22-year big-league veteran who ranks 10th on baseball's all-time victories list with 336.
"Of course, he's going to learn a lot of things along the way," Maddux added. "But so far, it's been a pleasure to work with him. And we, as players, are going to do our best to make sure he doesn't get any more gray hairs."
Maddux was busy breaking down video from his previous night's start when the Mariners hit him hard in a 7-4 victory. Other players, including future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman, were slowly trickling into the clubhouse.
A chapel service for players and coaches was scheduled for a nearby meeting room.
Black sat behind the desk in the manager's office, nursing a latte' and reading the sports section of the Seattle Times. The only sound in the room was the hum of a soft-drink cooler in the corner.
It's like the eerie calm before a hurricane. The intensity outside will soon devour this lazy Sunday morning.
Black, however, is as cool as they come. After spending seven years sitting next to Los Angeles Angels skipper Mike Scioscia as one of the premier pitching coaches in the game, Black is well aware that there's more to managing a Major League team than simply showing up for games.
"To be honest, nothing has taken me by surprise so far. I've been in the game a long time at the professional level, and by design I've probably been more observant the last couple of years watching how Mike Scioscia handled things, thinking maybe I'd be lucky enough to get the chance to do this some day," said Black, a 1975 Mark Morris High School graduate, who went on to star for Lower Columbia College and San Diego State University.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. From the time I got hired, I jumped in head first and I've enjoyed the challenge," he said. "It's one of only 30 jobs and I'm fortunate to be one of those guys. I interviewed at San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego, and I can honestly say I'm flattered that the Padres asked me to be their manager."
Black, who will turn 50 next month, still gets that boyish flicker in his eyes when he talks about the game he so dearly loves.
The fact that the Padres have gotten off to a respectable start ---- 24-20, second place in the National League West heading into Tuesday's home game against Chicago ---- means the flicker will remain for now.
Black is still putting his stamp on this team. He's more of a situational manager than a by-the-book guy, at times choosing to keep the game moving with sacrifice bunts, hit-and-runs and steals, while still allowing his players display their skills.
"As a manager, you still have to do what your gut tells you," he said. "But I'd still rather be a guy who presses the game than a guy who waits for the game to come to us."
It has been well documented that Black's pitching staffs with the Angels were some of the best in the American League, ranking among the top five in earned run average five times in his seven years there.
No wonder the Padres finished the weekend with the best ERA in baseball (3.09), with Boston a distant second at 3.22.
"He (Black) knows pitching, that's pretty evident," Maddux said. "His staff over there with the Angels was outstanding."
However, Black's team isn't hitting yet, with a combined batting average of .240 (15th in the NL out of 16 teams). Brian Giles, the Padres' No. 3 hitter, ended the week with just one home run. Several other key players are batting 20, 30, even 40 points under their career averages.
"Offensively, we just need guys to hit to their norm, to hit to their track records," Black said. "Our pitching is fine. We have depth throughout the staff and our bullpen is solid. These guys know how to pitch."
The majority of new managers take over for men who've been fired, which means they're inheriting a team that has struggled ---- or just plain stinks.
Not so with the Padres, who finished 88-74 in 2006 to secure their second straight postseason appearance.
"There was no upheaval going on here. The previous manager (Bruce Bochy) took another job (with San Francisco) and John Moores was looking to make a smooth transition to another manager," Black said. "The Padres have great ownership. John Moores is a wonderful man. The front office is on top of things, the coaching staff is great and we have a good group of veteran leaders in the clubhouse, with Maddux, Hoffman, (Mike) Cameron and Giles.
"The winning environment was already in place," he said. "I'm just trying to keep the train moving."
Forty-five games into his managerial career, Black is keeping it moving down the tracks just fine, thank you, even if it's still early.
Maddux, for one, isn't surprised.
"I think everybody knew when he was hired what kind of manager we were getting," Maddux said. "In the end, it's up to the players to perform. The manager can only do so much. But I think we're all glad to have him in our clubhouse, as opposed to somebody else's."
Rick S. Alvord is sports editor of The Daily News. He can be reached at ralvord@tdn.com or 577-2527.
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