The Padres have chosen Angels pitching coach Bud Black as their new manager and will introduce him on Thursday night at a San Diego hotel before the annual awards dinner, general manager Kevin Towers confirmed on Wednesday.
Black, 49, met with owner John Moores and club CEO Sandy Alderson on Tuesday after initially interviewing with Towers and was selected over five other candidates to assume the job vacated by Bruce Bochy, new manager of the Giants.
"What I like about Buddy is, my strength has always been pitching, and I'm a big believer pitching wins," Towers said. "The big reason we've won [the National League West] the past two years is we've outpitched our division.
"In PETCO [Park], playing 81 games, usually 30 or so decided by two runs or less, having a pitching guy, whose strength is pitching and who knows pitching, will help."
Towers added that Black reminds him of Bochy with his competitive nature and his dry sense of humor, and that the Angels' staff under manager Mike Scioscia always has impressed him with its attention to fundamentals and "playing the game the right way."
"Buddy's a winner," Towers said. "Preparation will be a big plus, preparing for series and games. He'll make sure the Padres are a fundamentally sound ballclub, do all the little things right.
"People who have been around him, on a golf course, whatever it may be, say he wins at anything he does. He's very articulate, highly competitive, highly intelligent. I think he'll represent our organization well, be a good face for our organization the way Boch was. The more you're around this guy, the more you're going to like him."
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Friars select Black as new manager
Friars select Black as new manager
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