Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Delivers Scathing Blow After Rockies Axe Bud Black: “Not Even Casey Stengel Could Fix That Team”
When the news broke that Bud Black was shown the door by the Colorado Rockies after a brutal start to the 2025 season, it struck a chord with Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts. Roberts didn’t mince words about the firing—he’s convinced the real issues aren’t rooted in Black’s leadership but rather the shaky foundation laid by the Rockies’ front office and ownership. Having worked closely with Black during his stint as a coach with the San Diego Padres, Roberts knows firsthand the challenge of trying to steer a struggling team through rough waters. Despite Black’s undeniable skills and respect earned over the years, the Rockies’ roster woes and front office decisions have left even the best managers in a bind. As the Rockies aim to turn the page with interim manager Warren Schaeffer, the shadow of this dismissal looms large—especially for a squad teetering on the precipice of another losing season.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wasn’t happy with the Colorado Rockies firing skipper Bud Black on Sunday.
In Roberts’ view, the Rockies’ failures fall more on ownership than on his former mentor.
“I’m bummed. I’m disappointed. I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub,” Roberts told reporters on Sunday, via the Los Angeles Times.
“That’s not the manager’s fault,” he added. “Obviously, they felt they needed a change in voice or direction, but for me, there’s not many people that are better than Buddy Black. It’s very disappointing. It’s certainly not his doing.”
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Roberts likely feels particularly strong about Black because he coached under him with the San Diego Padres from 2011-15, first serving as first base coach on the staff before moving to bench coach. The Padres didn’t have a winning record during those five seasons under Black, but Roberts went from there to taking the job as Dodgers manager.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was a coach for five seasons with the San Diego Padres under former Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
(John McCoy via Getty Images)
Black was dismissed after the Rockies went 7-33 to begin the 2025 season, putting them on pace to break the modern-era record for most losses in a single MLB season (121), set last year by the Chicago White Sox. Colorado is also progressing toward its seventh consecutive losing season and third with 100 or more losses.
All of that happened during Black’s tenure, which began with the 2017 season. The Rockies finished with winning records during Black’s first two seasons and qualified for the MLB postseason as a wild card. Yet the team hadn’t won more than 74 games for the past six seasons.
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However, as Roberts pointed out, few managers — even one who won 1,905 games and nine World Series championships like Stengel — could succeed with the roster that the Rockies’ front office and ownership have assembled.
A bad team typically has young talent that can develop. But Colorado’s minor league system ranks 18th out of baseball’s 30 organizations, according to MLB.com. The payroll carries a seven-year, $182 million pact for Kris Bryant, who’s played only 170 games in his four seasons with the Rockies and has a degenerate lumbar condition that recently required surgery.
As Dodgers manager, Roberts has capitalized on the Rockies’ ineptitude. During his 10 years with Los Angeles, the Dodgers have gone 103-51 versus Colorado, including 3-0 this season. Those three wins against the Rockies this season arguably righted the Dodgers’ season after they lost six of nine games in early April.
Warren Schaeffer was named the Rockies’ interim manager, moving up from third base coach. He’ll get an opportunity to improve on Colorado’s .331 winning percentage versus the Dodgers beginning with a three-game series at Coors Field from June 24-26.
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