Bud Black

Note: This page links to former major league pitcher and current manager Harry "Bud" Black. For the former major league pitcher, William "Bud" Black, who played from 1952 to 1956, click here.

Harry Ralston Black

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.
• School Lower Columbia College, San Diego State University
• High School Mark Morris High School
• Debut September 5, 1981
• Final Game July 9, 1995
• Born June 30, 1957 in San Mateo, CA USA

BR page

BR Manager Page

[edit] Biographical Information

"He may be the brightest manager I've ever seen. . . You don't see many managers . . . that really have an intellectual approach to the game." - Jerry Coleman

Bud Black pitched fifteen seasons in the majors, most notably for the Kansas City Royals, winning 121 games in his career. Following his playing days, he spent several years as a big league coach and is currently the manager of the San Diego Padres.

The son of minor league hockey player Harry Black Sr., Black was undrafted out of high school and then attended Lower Columbia College. While there, he was drafted first by the San Francisco Giants and later by the New York Mets, but he chose not to sign with either club. He then went on to attend San Diego State University, where his teammates included Tony Gwynn, Bobby Meacham, and Chris Jones. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in finance, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 17th round of the 1979 amateur draft.

Black quickly climbed through the Mariners organization and reached the majors with the club late in the 1981 campaign, appearing in a pair of games. Prior to the 1982 season, he was dealt to the Royals as a player to be named later for Manny Castillo. After splitting his first season in Kansas City between the rotation and the pen, he was used exclusively as a starter the next three summers. He had his best season in 1984, going 17-12 with a 3.12 ERA. In 1985, his record dropped to 10-15, but he appeared in two games in that fall's World Series, which the Royals won.

After bouncing between the pen and the rotation for several summers, Black was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Pat Tabler in June of 1988. He spent a little over two years with the Tribe before being sent to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1990 pennant run. Following that season, he became a free agent and signed a four year deal with the San Francisco Giants. In his first year with the Giants, he led the National League with 16 losses. He later returned to the Indians in 1995, his final year as a player.

As a player, Black's main teammates were George Brett, Dan Quisenberry, Willie Wilson, Frank White, Charlie Leibrandt and Bret Saberhagen.

Following his playing days, Black spent several years as an Assistant to Indians GM John Hart and was pitching coach of the Buffalo Bisons in 1998. He became the pitching coach for the Anaheim Angels in 2000. He was often mentioned as a candidate when managerial jobs opened up after the Angels won the 2002 World Series, and after the 2006 season, he became skipper of the San Diego Padres. His college teammate, Bobby Meacham, joined him on the Padres staff for a time.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1984)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 5 (1984, 1985 & 1989-1991)
• Won a World Series with the Kansas City Royals in 1985
• NL Manager of the Year Award (2010)

[edit] Year-By-Year Managerial Record

[edit] Related Sites