When the ship sinks, rats usually flee—but sometimes, a lion roars from the shore. In a league where pleasantries often replace honesty, Dave Roberts delivered a verbal fastball aimed squarely at the Colorado Rockies’ front office. And no, this wasn’t about some petty clubhouse drama. This was personal. The firing of Bud Black didn’t just rattle a franchise—it lit a fire in one of baseball’s most respected dugouts.
The Colorado Rockies are currently the worst team in MLB when we look at the win-loss record, and if you ask the fans, they will tell you that they have been for the past few years. From 2023, they have had consecutive 100+ loss seasons, and something needed to change. So, this season, the Rockies’ office decided that the problem is the manager and decided to fire Black.
This firing has not sat well with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. As reported by Bill Plunkett, Roberts in an interview said, “I’m bummed. I’m disappointed. I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ball club, and that’s not the manager’s fault. But obviously, they felt they needed a change in voice or direction. But for me, there’s not many people that are better than Buddy Black.”
This felt a little more personal for Roberts than professional. Bud Black and Dave Roberts are very close friends and live in the same neighborhood. Roberts also calls Black his mentor in his career as a manager and is thankful. Roberts said that the manager is not the problem, and he is right. It runs deeper than just the coaching staff.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts commented on the Rockies firing Bud Black Sunday. Black is a good friend and neighbor of Roberts who calls him “a mentor” in his managing career. “I’m bummed. I’m disappointed. I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub …” 1/2
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 11, 2025
The Rockies have a payroll of approximately $122.5 million and are still not able to get themselves a decent team. They had a great player in Nolan Arenado, whom they traded to the Cardinals, and in return, they got prospects who have not performed. This move has been labeled as one of the worst in MLB history. The front office has a history of alienating star players, such as DJ LeMahieu and Trevor Story.
They have not made a good decision in giving out contracts either. Players like Ian Desmond and Wade Davis received big contracts, and the Rockies got nothing in return. They have also struggled big time with their homegrown talent. With all this stuffed in Pandora’s Box, the manager might not be the problem.
The firing of Bud Black may have been the Rockies’ front office’s attempt to find a scapegoat, but the real issue lies far deeper than just the dugout. With poor decisions in player development, failed contracts, and a history of alienating key talent, the Rockies are stuck in a cycle of failure. So, as the ship sinks, don’t blame the captain—blame the crew steering it into the iceberg. The Rockies’ problem isn’t Black; it’s a franchise-wide identity crisis.
Ryan McMahon speaks after the firing of manager Bud Black
In a season already marked by disappointment, the Colorado Rockies made a bold, yet hardly surprising move to shake things up. After weeks of dwindling hopes, the front office decided to take drastic action. And who better to speak on the matter than Ryan McMahon, who didn’t mince words in his reaction to the firing of manager Bud Black? McMahon’s words? Well, let’s just say they didn’t pull any punches.
The Colorado Rockies have had one of the worst starts to the season with a 7-33 record, and they just fired their manager, Black. The Rockies are on an 8-game losing streak right now and will need to get back to winning ways. After the game against the Padres, 3rd baseman Ryan McMahon said, “It might be a kick in the [posterior]. We’re in a spot where we need to make some moves and start doing some stuff, or else things like this are going to happen.”
McMahon does agree that poor management led to some losses and eventually got the manager sacked, but he also says that they need to make moves. Not only firing but also in the market, where they can improve their team.
McMahon’s comments reflect a hard truth—change was inevitable, but it’s not just about the manager. The Rockies need to take a long, hard look at the roster and decide if a shakeup is needed across the board. Firing Black may have been a start, but it’s just a Band-Aid on a much deeper wound. Whether the Rockies can recover from their 7-33 disaster or continue their spiral into irrelevance remains to be seen. The clock is ticking, and the Rockies can’t afford to wait for another “kick in the posterior.”
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