Dodgers Skipper Defends Ex-Royals World Series Champion After Firing From Rockies

The Colorado Rockies recently fired their manager Bud Black after a 7-33 start to the 2025 season. Black, one of Major League Baseball's most respected managers, is actually a former player, and he spent seven of the first eight seasons of his career pitching with the Kansas City Royals.

On the contrary to Colorado, the Royals are red-hot, having won 16 of their last 19 games after an 8-14 start to the season. Black was part of the pitching staff when Kansas City won its first World Series title in 1985, pitching to a 4.33 ERA in 33 starts.

After Black was fired on Sunday, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chimed in on the situation and rushed to Black's defense.

"I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub, and that’s not the manager’s fault. But obviously, they felt they needed a change in voice or direction," Roberts said. "But for me, there’s not many people that are better than Buddy Black. So, yeah, that’s very disappointing. It is certainly not his doing."

Roberts and Black have a close relationship, having managed against each other in the National League West. But Roberts clearly is against the former Royals pitcher being fired by the Rockies.

It certainly would be tough for any manager to fix the Rockies in their current state, even an established skipper. Unfortunately, Black was the one to take the fall after a dreadful start to the season.

We'll see if Black can land a new job somewhere else in the near future.

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