SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rockies manager Bud Black has switched uniform numbers with Ian Desmond to honor his former manager, the late Dick Howser.
Black will wear No. 10 the rest of the season and Desmond will wear No. 20.
Black pitched for the Royals from 1982-1988. Howser, whose No. 10 is retired beyond the center field wall at Kauffman Stadium, managed the Royals to their 1985 World Series championship.
"He was the one that early in my career, he kept giving me the ball," Black said after Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Royals. "He showed a lot of faith in me and I learned a lot from Dick. He believed in who he believed in and he was really convicted to the players that he truly trusted. He was fiery yet patient at the same time. That's a good combination."
Howser died in 1987 after battling a brain tumor.