The Washington Post is reporting that the Washington Nationals will hire Bud Black to be their new manager.
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The Nationals are the parent club of the Syracuse Chiefs. Long credited for often getting better than predicted results out of the San Diego teams he guided, Black won the 2010 National League Manager of the Year when he carried the Padres to a 90-72 record and within a game of the NL West championship.
But, he’s also got the toughness and managing experience that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said he would look for the day he fired the inexperienced Matt Williams. The Padres missed out on the playoffs every year under Black, who was sacked after a 32-33 start following high Spring Training expectations.
Black, a former Major League Baseball pitcher for 14 years, had managed the Padres since 2007.
With this in mind, the final two candidates were Black and ex-Giants, Cubs and Reds manager Dusty Baker. Black compiled a 649-713 record (.477) and never reached the playoffs with the Padres.
No press releases were done yet to announce Bud Black spearheading the team and will be done once the World Series is over. In a September 27th game against the Philadelphia Phillies, a fight broke out in the dugout between young phenom Bryce Harper and pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, resulting in Papelbon being suspended for the rest of the season by the team.
The Nationals are not expected to make the announcement until after the World Series.
It was no surprise the Nationals made a decision to turn to someone with previous managerial experience.
“He’s like the guy in his house who hears a sound, like someone breaking in”, a player told the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga of Williams. With a roster filled with veteran talent, it was clear from the outset that the team would hire someone with an extensive resume. That should be a breath of fresh air in Washington, where the inexperienced Williams lost his clubhouse. During his time in San Diego, the bullpen – a major problem for the Nationals this past season – led the National League in relief ERA three times.
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Of course hiring Black is only the first step.
