Bud Black is a very good manager and a great personality, but no matter what they say now, at least one Padres higherup seriously considered firing Black last summer, and if the team isn't winning with its record (for them) $107 million payroll, it's hard to imagine Black will make it back for next year. One name who's beloved by the Padres organization and fits the mold of recent hires would be Mark Kotsay