Say hey, baseball: Bud Black relieved of duties in San Diego

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The Padres spent the offseason completely rebuilding their roster to be contenders in 2015, but things haven’t gone according to plan. The team was 32-33 and in fourth place in the AL West heading into yesterday’s action. As these things so often go, it was manager Bud Black who received the blame. The long-time San Diego manager was relieved of his duties on Monday, with Dave Roberts stepping in for a few days before they find another interim option.

Despite bringing in some intriguing names this offseason, it’s hard to put all of the blame on the manager for this one. The Padres put together a horrendous defensive outfield and an underwhelming infield. It’s possible no manager could win with this roster. With that being said, sometimes a change of voice in the clubhouse can turn these things around, and there are plenty of valid reasoning for the firing.

Black becomes the third manager to lose his job this year after Ron Roenicke and Mike Redmond, and he likely won’t be the last. The jobs of John Farrell, Lloyd McClendon, Robin Ventura, Bryan Price and Walt Weiss could all be in jeopardy as their teams’ disappointing seasons continue. Given his track record and reputation across the league, Black should be back in the game soon, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he was managing one of the clubs currently managed by the names listed above.

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