Bud Black Fired by Padres: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

San Diego Padres manager Bud Black was fired Monday after a 32-33 start to the 2015 MLB campaign.

The Padres' official Twitter account announced the move:

The team named Pat Murphy as interim manager for the remainder of the season on June 16. 

First-year general manager A.J. Preller said he has contemplated a change for the last two weeks, as he is looking for more consistency, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Preller also spoke on how difficult the decision was, per the Padres: "Really tough call, ultimately charged w/ getting this team in better position. Making a change in Manager position was way to go."

He added that the team has not met expectations, per Annie Heilbrunn:

Black was in the midst of his ninth season in San Diego, posting only two winning records in that span. The 57-year-old skipper finished with a record of 649-713 without any playoff appearances during his lengthy tenure.

Being a former MLB pitcher helped Black's cause as he often worked with a roster deficient in elite talent. However, after the Padres finished fourth in team ERA last year with an anemic offense, their pitching hasn't been as strong.

Bench coach Dave Roberts spoke about how he felt taking over as manager tonight against the Oakland Athletics, per Heilbrunn:

Unless they improve their 17th-ranked team ERA at the moment, the Padres are likely on course for another missed chance at the postseason.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times felt the deck had been stacked against Black from the beginning of this season:

Preller is evidently eager to move on and establish a new era in San Diego. Per Spotrac, the Padres have a $106.24 million payroll in 2015—far greater than their $78.31 million figure from last year. The sense of urgency to turn things around immediately has grown.

Both parties have been stuck in neutral for years, as Black was never able to get San Diego over the hump and into the playoffs. Parting ways is probably best for all involved, and it frees up Preller to look for a long-term manager he's comfortable with to execute his vision.

As for Black, there's reason to believe his considerable experience and staying power with the Padres will garner him an assistant position with another club at the very least if he so desires. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him thrive elsewhere as a manager.