It wasn't long ago that Clint Hurdle was fired from the Colorado Rockies. Right after he was dismissed, the Rockies, under Jim Tracy, took off on a 74-42 run and made the playoffs. That episode seemed to indicate a team that was all bound up and simply needed a breath of fresh air. Rarely, of course, are things as simple as they appear and there may have been much more to the story than Hurdle. But this writer doesn't believe in coincidences either. And now, that Clint Hurdle was just hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates as their next manager.
On one level, at least the Pirates hired an experienced manager. Russell was a shot in the dark as there was nothing to judge in his past concerning managing a major league baseball team. Unfortunately, that gamble did not pay off and the Pirates went with experience this time. Hurdle, from all accounts, is a driven individual, which may be what the Pirates need at this point in their history. But that same hard-nosed personality could have been what caused the Rockies not to respond to him after several years in Colorado.
Who knows. Joe Torre wasn't the right manager for the Mets but he was with the Yankees. Tracy himself had difficulties before he went to Colorado. It feels like this writer hasn't been charitable all week and oft to criticize. Perhaps the Pirates and Hurdle should be given the benefit of the doubt. One thing is easy to understand and that is things couldn't go worse in Pittsburgh from what's taken place there for the last several years. Hurdle has no where to go but up.
1 comment:
Some managers needs to stop being recycled around the league.
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