The Colorado Rockies have fired long-time manager Bud Black, the club announced on Sunday. Black, 67, had managed the Rockies since the start of the 2017 season. He’ll be replaced on an interim basis by third-base coach Warren Schaeffer, who will manage the team through the end of the current season. The decision to fire Black comes mere hours after general manager Bill Schmidt appeared to give Black a vote of confidence.
The Rockies also announced that Mike Redmond has been dismissed as bench coach and replaced on an interim basis by hitting coach Clint Hurdle. Hurdle previously managed the Rockies from 2002 to 2009.
The move comes after a disastrous 6-33 start to the 2025 season for the Rockies, which was tied for the worst 39-game start in MLB history, per CBS Sports research. Sunday’s win over the San Diego Padres put the Rockies at 7-33 for the year and on pace for a record 134 losses this season. Over the first 42 games of the season, the Rockies have been out-scored by 128 runs. On Saturday, the Rockies suffered a franchise-worst 21-0 loss to the Padres.
Black ends his Colorado tenure with an overall record of 544-690 (.441). The Rockies made the postseason in each of Black’s first two seasons as manager, but since then they’ve endured six straight losing seasons and are almost guaranteed to stretch that streak to seven straight this year. The Rockies are also on target for a third straight season of at least 100 losses.
“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,” Rockies owner and CEO Dick Monfort said in a statement released by the team. “While we all share responsibility in how this season has played out, these changes are necessary. We will use the remainder of 2025 to improve where we can on the field and to evaluate all areas of our operation so we can properly turn the page into the next chapter of Rockies baseball.
“I want to thank Bud Black and Mike Redmond for their contributions to the organization across their eight years here. I appreciate their hard work and dedication and wish them nothing but the best going forward.”
Overall, Black, who also managed the Padres, is 1,193-1,403 over parts of 18 seasons as an MLB manager. Schaeffer, 40, worked as a manager for multiple Colorado minor-league affiliates before joining Black’s staff with the Rockies ahead of the 2023 season. Now the interim manager, he will work alongside Hurdle.
“I believe that Warren is the right person to lead us forward for the remainder of this season, develop our young talent at the Major League level and get our club back to playing a better brand of baseball,” Schmidt said of Schaeffer in that statement. “He has a great ability to connect with both veterans and young players and is an excellent communicator. Clint will remain focused on helping our players offensively and will continue to assist Warren and our players as an experienced voice within our clubhouse.”
