Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which is why, on a gloomy February morning in 2017, a 1,600-pound longhorn Watusi steer stood outside the weight room at the Colorado Rockies’ spring-training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz.
It was an over-the-top prop secured by a trio of young pitchers for a report on Rockies owners Charles and Richard Monfort, who made their fortune in the meatpacking business, and another in a line of team-building exercises that could be traced directly to Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
“Yeah, I’ll be the first to admit I copied that stuff,” said Black, in his second year with the Rockies after managing the San Diego Padres for 8 ½ years, from 2007-15.