steveironcity
11-09-2006, 10:19 AM
The Padres have chosen Angels pitching coach Bud Black as their new manager and will introduce him on Thursday night at a San Diego hotel before the annual awards dinner, general manager Kevin Towers confirmed on Wednesday.
Black, 49, met with owner John Moores and club CEO Sandy Alderson on Tuesday after initially interviewing with Towers and was selected over five other candidates to assume the job vacated by Bruce Bochy, new manager of the Giants.
"What I like about Buddy is, my strength has always been pitching, and I'm a big believer pitching wins," Towers said. "The big reason we've won [the National League West] the past two years is we've outpitched our division.
"In PETCO [Park], playing 81 games, usually 30 or so decided by two runs or less, having a pitching guy, whose strength is pitching and who knows pitching, will help."
Towers added that Black reminds him of Bochy with his competitive nature and his dry sense of humor, and that the Angels' staff under manager Mike Scioscia always has impressed him with its attention to fundamentals and "playing the game the right way."
"Buddy's a winner," Towers said. "Preparation will be a big plus, preparing for series and games. He'll make sure the Padres are a fundamentally sound ballclub, do all the little things right.
"People who have been around him, on a golf course, whatever it may be, say he wins at anything he does. He's very articulate, highly competitive, highly intelligent. I think he'll represent our organization well, be a good face for our organization the way Boch was. The more you're around this guy, the more you're going to like him."
Others who interviewed for the job were Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo, Japan League manager Trey Hillman, Giants coach Ron Wotus, former Dodgers hitting coach Tim Wallach, and three-time National League Manager of the Year Dusty Baker.
Baker was the only candidate with experience managing in the Major Leagues.
Black, who lives near San Diego in Rancho Santa Fe, was a San Diego State teammate of Padres great Tony Gwynn and has served as the Angels' pitching coach the past seven seasons, including their 2002 championship season.
Black pitched in the Major Leagues for 15 seasons, helping the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series. He pitched for Baker in San Francisco for two seasons.
"Blacky's a good dude, one of my favorite people in the game," Baker said after hearing that Black was the choice. "I'm happy for him, and I wish him the best. He has a big challenge ahead of him, not only managing but moving from the American League over to the National League, but he knows the game."
Bochy won four National League West titles and two postseason series in his 12 years as manager, taking the 1998 club to the World Series, where it was swept four straight by the dynastic Yankees.
Bochy was 951-975 (.494), winning and losing more games than any manager in franchise history while going 8-16 in postseason play.
"I was very impressed with all six candidates," Towers said. "They're all outstanding individuals. Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we put together six quality individuals who all had their strengths. It was very educational; I got a lot out of it.
"Hopefully, I won't have to do it again for a long while."
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
FULL STORY
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061108&content_id=1737073&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Black, 49, met with owner John Moores and club CEO Sandy Alderson on Tuesday after initially interviewing with Towers and was selected over five other candidates to assume the job vacated by Bruce Bochy, new manager of the Giants.
"What I like about Buddy is, my strength has always been pitching, and I'm a big believer pitching wins," Towers said. "The big reason we've won [the National League West] the past two years is we've outpitched our division.
"In PETCO [Park], playing 81 games, usually 30 or so decided by two runs or less, having a pitching guy, whose strength is pitching and who knows pitching, will help."
Towers added that Black reminds him of Bochy with his competitive nature and his dry sense of humor, and that the Angels' staff under manager Mike Scioscia always has impressed him with its attention to fundamentals and "playing the game the right way."
"Buddy's a winner," Towers said. "Preparation will be a big plus, preparing for series and games. He'll make sure the Padres are a fundamentally sound ballclub, do all the little things right.
"People who have been around him, on a golf course, whatever it may be, say he wins at anything he does. He's very articulate, highly competitive, highly intelligent. I think he'll represent our organization well, be a good face for our organization the way Boch was. The more you're around this guy, the more you're going to like him."
Others who interviewed for the job were Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo, Japan League manager Trey Hillman, Giants coach Ron Wotus, former Dodgers hitting coach Tim Wallach, and three-time National League Manager of the Year Dusty Baker.
Baker was the only candidate with experience managing in the Major Leagues.
Black, who lives near San Diego in Rancho Santa Fe, was a San Diego State teammate of Padres great Tony Gwynn and has served as the Angels' pitching coach the past seven seasons, including their 2002 championship season.
Black pitched in the Major Leagues for 15 seasons, helping the Kansas City Royals win the 1985 World Series. He pitched for Baker in San Francisco for two seasons.
"Blacky's a good dude, one of my favorite people in the game," Baker said after hearing that Black was the choice. "I'm happy for him, and I wish him the best. He has a big challenge ahead of him, not only managing but moving from the American League over to the National League, but he knows the game."
Bochy won four National League West titles and two postseason series in his 12 years as manager, taking the 1998 club to the World Series, where it was swept four straight by the dynastic Yankees.
Bochy was 951-975 (.494), winning and losing more games than any manager in franchise history while going 8-16 in postseason play.
"I was very impressed with all six candidates," Towers said. "They're all outstanding individuals. Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we put together six quality individuals who all had their strengths. It was very educational; I got a lot out of it.
"Hopefully, I won't have to do it again for a long while."
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
FULL STORY
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061108&content_id=1737073&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb