DENVER – Bud Black really has no radical or revolutionary ideas about how to reliably pitch in the thin air at Coors Field.
Just an age-old concept.
“You know what works here? Good pitching and making pitches and getting outs,” Black said Monday after being introduced as the manager of the Colorado Rockies. “That’s what we have to do. I don’t think we have to change anybody. We’ve got to make guys better. And these guys are pretty good to start with.”
Black signed a three-year deal to take over for Walt Weiss, who stepped down last month when his contract expired after four years in charge of the Rockies. They finished 75-87 last season, their best record since 2010.
The 59-year-old Black is revered for his pitching acumen. Understandably, he views the game through a pitcher’s eyes and knows this park is filled with difficulties for a staff.
“It’s just a different game here than other spots,” Black said. “But it’s still baseball. … I’m not planning anything unconventional. I like the conventional. I like good, solid starting pitching, a good, solid relief core. That works anywhere.”
Black knows this park well after serving as manager of NL West rival San Diego for 8½ seasons before being fired in June 2015. He compiled a 649-713 record for the Padres and was voted NL Manager of the Year in 2010.
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