San Diego Padres Bud Black talks about being a pitching manager, batters- MLB News
Bud Black, the manager of the San Diego Padres is one of the very few examples of manager in the Major League who were pitchers in their playing days. He was a pitcher for a number of franchises in his 15 year Major League career and posted a 121-116 win-loss
record with 11 saves. He was primarily a starting pitcher.
As a manager, he has been associated with the San Diego Padres for six seasons and it remains to be the only team that he has managed with mix results. Prior to taking the managerial role, he was a pitching coach under Mike Scioscia with the Anaheim Angels/
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
He recently spoke to the MLB.com on a number of issues including being a manager who was a pitcher in his playing days and how he manages the offensive part of the game.
When inquired how he goes about the pitching work, he was quick to tell that it was his second nature and it was something he understood very well. Bud plays an active role in how the pitching unit works whether be it in the starting rotation or the bullpen.
‘’No question. To your point, the pitching conversation, for me, is what I've done my whole life. There's no doubt about it,’’ Black said in the interview to MLB.com.
He also admits that he depends a lot on the coaches when it comes to the batting as it is not his forte. He is more actively engaged in discussion about batters than pitchers.
‘’On the offensive side when I talk strategy, when I talk after the game to our coaches, when I talk prior to the game about lineups, there's no doubt that I lean on our coaches,’’ Bud said.
He also said that being a pitcher, he looks at the game from that very perspective and does not interfere too much into the technicalities of hitting game.
Black looks to understand what the coaches are thinking and what their strategies are for a particular game. He was blessed with good coaches when he started out as a manager and that helped him in a big way.
‘’My conversations with them are more to get a feel about what they're thinking in a certain situation. That can happen pre or postgame and sometimes even as the game moves on,’’ he said.
Bud says that it has to be done in collaboration and it is obvious that his emphasis on communication is certainly right, be it at any level.
Bud Black is a manager who is aware of his strong points as well as his weaker ones. He has done well to create an overall balance. He is a pitcher at heart who has done well to keep up with the other side in his skipper’s role.
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