The Colorado Rockies have made a major leadership change, firing manager Bud Black on Sunday following a historically poor start to the 2025 MLB season. The decision came just one day after a humiliating 21-0 loss to the San Diego Padres at Coors Field — one of the worst defeats in franchise history.
Rockies Make Changes After MLB-Worst 7-33 Start
- The Rockies are off to an MLB-worst 7-33 record.
- Sunday's win could not overshadow the team's disastrous start, which mirrors the 1988 Baltimore Orioles’ 6-34 record — the worst 40-game start in modern MLB history.
- Warren Schaeffer, the team’s third-base coach, has been named interim manager for the remainder of the season.
- Former Rockies manager and current hitting coach Clint Hurdle will step in as interim bench coach.
- The Rockies also parted ways with bench coach Mike Redmond as part of the shakeup.
Ownership and Front Office Speak Out
Team owner, chairman, and CEO Dick Monfort released a statement addressing the changes:
“Our play so far this season, especially coming off the last two seasons, has been unacceptable. Our fans deserve better, and we are capable of better. While we all share responsibility in how this season has played out, these changes are necessary.”
Monfort emphasized that the organization will use the remainder of the 2025 season to evaluate on-field performance and front-office operations as they plan for the future.
General manager Bill Schmidt also acknowledged the need for immediate improvement:
“We have to get better and move forward. We owe it to our fans to play better baseball.”
Ironically, Schmidt publicly supported Black just hours before Saturday's 21-run loss, saying the team was “showing up for work and playing with effort.” However, the front office finalized plans for the firing by Sunday morning, regardless of the game’s outcome.
Bud Black's Tenure Comes to an End
- Bud Black departs as the winningest manager in Rockies history, with a 544-690 record over nine seasons.
- He led the team to consecutive postseason appearances in 2017 and 2018, but the Rockies have failed to finish with a winning record since.
- Colorado is coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons and currently holds a .353 winning percentage since 2023.
- Black signed a one-year extension last October, set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
Rocky Road Ahead for Colorado
- Before Sunday's win, Colorado trailed the NL West by 19.5 games and had been outscored by 128 runs through 40 games.
- According to Elias Sports Bureau, the 2023 Oakland Athletics (-144) are the only team in the modern era to post a worse run differential through 40 games.
- The Rockies open a road trip Monday night against the Texas Rangers, aiming to find new momentum under Schaeffer’s leadership.
Clubhouse Reaction
Pitcher
Kyle Freeland
expressed both sadness and hope in response to the shakeup:
“I love both those guys to death. Clearly, some changes needed to be made to see if we can start turning this thing around.”
