Padres fire manager Bud Black

The San Diego Padres announced on Monday that manager Bud Black has been relieved of his duties. He will be replaced on an interim basis by bench coach Dave Roberts.

San Diego was extremely active in the offseason, acquiring Matt Kemp, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Wil Myers, Will Middlebrooks, Craig Kimbrel and James Shields. Yet, they are 32-33 and third in the National League West.

Black was hired before the 2007 season after being the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach from 2000-06, winning a World Series with the club in 2002. Black also played in the Major Leagues for six teams, ranging from 1981-95. He was a member of the Kansas City Royals when they won their only championship in 1985.

Throughout his tenure in San Diego, Black was known as one of the best men in baseball and well-liked in the clubhouse. He finished his time with an overall record of 641-707, winning the National League Manager of the Year Award in 2010. Black never reached the playoffs during his eight full seasons with the team, finishing with a winning record twice.

It will be interesting to see how the Padres respond to this move. San Diego was expected to compete for a playoff spot in the middling NL West, but it has not been able to gain traction with the likes of the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Padres are still in the thick of the race, only sitting six games behind the division-leading Dodgers.

Despite one of the better rotations in baseball – on paper – the only NL teams to allow more runs are the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers. Considering Black’s background, that could have been the last straw for the front office.