Nationals To Hire Bud Black As Manager

I love this move. I love this move for a lot of reasons but R-E-S-P-E-C-T is atop the list. Bud Black commands respect. If baseball were The Big Lebowski, Black would be Walter and Matt Williams would be Donnie. Bud Black is the man’s man who goes out and chops down trees while Matt Williams is the gangly, uncoordinated bitch who plays Magic, the Gathering all day. Bud Black has to be one of the most respected baseball coaches in the world while MW was a laughingstock. Shit like the Papelbon choking incident will never ever happen during Black’s rule.

So Who Is Bud Black?
Black managed the Padres for the past 8 1/2 years until he was fired after a 32-33 start this year. Black did not deserve to be fired but became the unfortunate scapegoat for a poor ‘all-in’ off-season by new Friars GM AJ Preller. Black’s teams never made the playoffs but he came extremely close in 2010 when the team went 90-72 and lost out on a playoff spot during the last series of the season to the eventual world champion Giants. Looking at the tools that Black was given in 2010, its extraordinary that the team won 80 games, let alone 90! The offense had Adrian Gonzalez, pre-breakout Chase Headley, and Yorvit Torrealba while the pitching staff consisted of Mat Latos, 4 below average starters, and a good bullpen. Black deservedly won Manager of the Year award that season. Black, who pitched at SD State (same as Strasburg), is credited with managing pitchers exceptionally well and his track record of bullpen management and starting pitcher success in San Diego (granted, Petco is a huge pitcher’s park) speaks for itself. The one negative that has been tossed around with Black is that he struggles with developing capable hitters and, while that isn’t something one loves to hear, it isn’t the end of the world either.

The Job:

Bud Black is a strong tactical manager who appears to be open to new ideas and, while MW could not control the clubhouse if it meant Candice Swanepoel nudes, Bud Black will command attention just by setting foot in the building. And that’s why Black is the perfect choice for the job. Sure guys like Ron Wotus or Dave Martinez have the potential to become excellent managers (and I wholeheartedly believe that they will) but Bud Black has already proven his managing chops and he should be capable of taking his skills to the next level in high-talent, big-market Washington.

Washington’s checklist for its next manager likely included: experience, ability to control a clubhouse, decision-making skills, and ability to manage a bullpen effectively. Black possesses all these traits and more.

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PS: If Dusty Baker had been chosen instead, this would be a very very different blog – the team dodged a bullet there