Wednesday, November 08, 2006
BUD BLACK: GONE
Yeah, I'm back, but Bud Black is gone, off to manage the San Diego Padres.
I don't know what to make of this; the Angel ERA, with Buddy here, has ranked ninth (2000), fifth (2001), second (you get the idea), sixth, fourth, third, and third in the league. That's a pretty impressive track record, considering the team never ranked better than fifth in the 1995-1999 period, falling all the way to thirteenth in 1996. In fact, the second-place finish in 2002 was the best showing the Angel staff had since the 1991 team (also second), which at 81-81 and with a rotation spearheaded by Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, and Jim Abbott was probably the best last-place team ever, and possibly the best pitching staff a last-place team has had.
I honestly don't know how much difference a good pitching coach makes, but we can't really fault Bud Black for his service to our team. Losing coaches like Joe Maddon and Bud Black to managerial jobs is a price of success; as with Joe, I wish Buddy the best, and hope we can find a suitable replacement.
Yeah, I'm back, but Bud Black is gone, off to manage the San Diego Padres.
I don't know what to make of this; the Angel ERA, with Buddy here, has ranked ninth (2000), fifth (2001), second (you get the idea), sixth, fourth, third, and third in the league. That's a pretty impressive track record, considering the team never ranked better than fifth in the 1995-1999 period, falling all the way to thirteenth in 1996. In fact, the second-place finish in 2002 was the best showing the Angel staff had since the 1991 team (also second), which at 81-81 and with a rotation spearheaded by Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, and Jim Abbott was probably the best last-place team ever, and possibly the best pitching staff a last-place team has had.
I honestly don't know how much difference a good pitching coach makes, but we can't really fault Bud Black for his service to our team. Losing coaches like Joe Maddon and Bud Black to managerial jobs is a price of success; as with Joe, I wish Buddy the best, and hope we can find a suitable replacement.
Labels: Bud Black, Joe Maddon, pitching coach
