Books and articles about Bud Black

Black's effectiveness hinged on constantly mixing his fastball, curve, slider, and change-up to keep hitters guessing. Used initially as a middle reliever, he led Royals' starters in IP, wins, ERA, and strikeouts in 1984.

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His fortunes fell in 1985, when he seemed to lose something off his set-up pitch, the fastball. The only Royal starter with a losing record in Kansas City's World Championship season, Black was put back in the bullpen in 1986 and was traded to the Indians in mid-1988. (FO)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 3, 1984: After rain washes out yesterday's opener at Royals Stadium, Yul Bryner tosses out the first ball and Kansas City opens with a 4–2 win over the Yankees. The threat of snow holds the crowd to just 10,006. Bud Black, with relief help from Dan Quisenberry, tops Ron Guidry, still winless in Openers. Onix Concepcion hits Guidry's first pitch of the game for a homer, while Dave Winfield has a two-run homer for New York. » September 17, 1984: Reggie Jackson hits his 500th career home run in the 7th inning off Bud Black, but the Royals beat California 10–1 to move into first place in the American League West. Jackson is the 13th player in ML history to hit 500 home runs. » October 3, 1985: Bud Black fires a 3-hitter and George Brett slaps a 3-run inside-the-park homer to beat the Angels, 4–0, moving KC back in a tie for the Al West. » April 8, 1986: The Royals are the first defending champions—besides the Yankees—in 61 years to open at Yankee Stadium, and they start the season on the wrong foot by losing, 4–2. New York scores all four runs off starter Bud Black, who gives up a three-run homer to Butch Wynegar in the 2nd. Hal McRae accounts for both KC runs with a two-run homer off starter Ron Guidry, one of two hits Guidry gives up in five innings. Guidry wins his first opener with relief help from Rod Scurry and Dave Righetti. » August 12, 1986: Boston's Don Baylor sets an American League record when he is hit by a pitch for the 25th time, breaking the season record he held with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). The Royals Bud Black does the plunking in a 5–1 win. Baylor will end the season being hit 35 times: the major-league record is 50 by Ron Hunt. » June 3, 1988: The Royals trade P Bud Black to Cleveland for versatile Pat Tabler. » July 8, 1988: In game with the Angels, Cleveland's Bud Black hits Jack Howell, Devon White, and Johnny Ray with pitches in the 4th inning of a 10–6 loss, tying the ML record. Bert Blyleven will match him in September. » September 2, 1990: In the year of no-hitters, Dave Stieb pitches the 9th and final one of the season, blanking Cleveland 3–0. It is the first no-hitter in Blue Jays' history, and the first for Stieb after four close-calls which were ended by 9th-inning hits. Stieb K's nine in beating Bud Black. » September 16, 1990: Cleveland trades pending free agent Bud Black (11–10) to Toronto for Mauro Gozzo, Steve Cummings, and Alex Sanchez. Black will sign with the Giants on November 9. » December 4, 1990: Reliever Dave Righetti signs as a free agent with the Giants. San Francisco now has spent $33 million for free agents Righetti, Willie McGee, and Bud Black since the end of the season. » April 15, 1991: Giants P Bud Black and C Steve Decker work together in a game against the Dodgers, marking the first Black & Decker battery in major league history. Black loses the contest while Decker gets one hit in four at bats.