Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts flamed the Colorado Rockies for firing his longtime friend and mentor, Bud Black.
On Sunday, the Rockies dismissed Black after nine seasons as the team’s manager. Black was relieved of his duties after Colorado snapped an eight-game losing streak to improve to a still-league-worst 7-33 record.
Roberts was asked to weigh in on Black’s firing after the Dodgers’ 8-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. The Dodgers manager pointed out that Black is not the one primarily at fault for the Rockies’ on-field struggles.
“I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub,” Roberts said of Black’s firing, via MLB reporter Bob Nightengale. “That’s not the manager’s fault.”
Stengel famously served as manager of the New York Yankees during their legendary run in the 1950s. Stengel led the Yankees to seven World Series wins and 10 total American League pennants from 1949 to 1960.
While Stengel is widely considered one of the greatest managers in baseball history, he also benefited from having Hall of Famers such as Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Yogi Berra at his disposal. There’s nobody even close to resembling Mantle or DiMaggio on the 2025 Rockies.
As Roberts suggested, the dysfunction within the Rockies’ organization goes far beyond the manager’s control. Black had the Rockies in the postseason during his first two years on the job. But since then, Colorado has had seven straight losing seasons, if you already include the lost cause that is their 2025 campaign. The Rockies have a 366-543 (40.2%) record since they last made the playoffs in 2018.
Several fans agreed with Roberts’ take on the Rockies. Many backed Black, claiming he was far from the team’s biggest problem.
