Name: Harry Ralston Black
Nickname: Bud
Position: Pitcher, Pitching Coach
Throws: Left
Bats: Left
Number(s): 40, 20
Years Coached As an Angel: 2000-2006
Angels’ Stats: Never played for Angels
Career Stats: 121-116, 3.84 ERA, 1039 Ks
How He Was Acquired: Hired as pitching coach before the 2000 season after spending the previous season as pitching coach at AAA Buffalo (Cleveland).
Why You Should Know Him: Black pitched for five teams in his career, most notably the Angels’ old AL West archrivals, the Kansas City Royals. Black won a World Series ring with the Royals in 1985 as a player, then another as the pitching coach of the 2002 Angels squad.
Black handled the pitchers under manager Mike Scioscia from 2000 until 2006, then took over managing duties with the San Diego Padres. Some of the pitchers who he has helped develop include John Lackey, Jake Peavy, Francisco Rodriguez, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana.
Under Black’s direction, the Angels staff ranked in the top five in the American League on five occasions, including a second place finish in 2002. In his seven years in Anaheim, the Angels posted a 4.17 ERA, second among AL staffs during that period.
Memorable Moments/Games: Black had a hand in one of the Angels most heartbreaking finishes…as an opponent. He pitched a three-hit shutout against the Angels at Royals Stadium to give California and Kansas City identical 88-70 records on October 2, 1985. The next night Danny Jackson outdueled Don Sutton and the Royals took a one-game lead with three to play. The Angels finished one game back. It was the first of three comebacks by that Royals team, which overcame three-games-to-one deficits in the playoffs against both the Blue Jays and the Cardinals to win Kansas City’s only World Series title.
Anecdotes and Quotes: Black was part of baseball history twice. He was the starting pitcher for the Royals during the infamous pine tar game against the Yankees, and in a game against the Angels he surrendered Reggie Jackson’s 500th home run.
Where is He Now?: Bud Black is currently the manager of the San Diego Padres.
Contributed by Brett Borden – AngelsWin.com Columnist
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