Tag: Clint Hurdle

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced prior to Sunday’s game that manager Clint Hurdle won’t be back for the 2020 season. According to General Manager Neal Huntington, Hurdle has been relieved of his duties as the manager of the Pirates after nine seasons. He led the Pirates to a 735-720 record over that time, three times guiding […]

The Pirates have a roster crunch coming up fast. Sure, it’s fair to question whether it matters much or not, given the excess fat permeating much of the roster. At some point, however, the front office deemed every player under contract worth while enough to employ, so it’s reasonable to assume they would at least […]

For anyone who has ever worked in any kind of professional setting, we all have seen it—an employee who is in way over their head. At one point or another, this employee was competent at their job, but that competence was rewarded with a new challenge that they ultimately just weren’t cut out for. This […]

As one of the slowest times on the sports calendar, the Major League Baseball All-Star break brings about a lull that often leads to the discussion of off-the field topics. Sure, many fans would prefer to focus on what’s happening on the field, but with no games to be played, attention tends to shift for […]

Who's the face of the Pirates? If that sort of figurative, unanswerable question appeals to you, it's a heck of a debate as we pass...

PITTSBURGH — From the moment Anthony Rizzo changed course on his way to home plate in the eighth inning Monday, any sports fan (or human being) could predict the likely postgame reaction. The Cubs were going to say Rizzo’s takeout of Elias Díaz was fine. The Pirates were going to say it wasn’t. Chalk one […]

PITTSBURGH — Everywhere we turn in Major League Baseball media coverage these days, we see repeated references to two large-scale phenomena: Optimized launch angle and increased strikeout rate. As a team that constantly seeks every inefficiency available in its quest to win on a budget, the Pirates have likely considered the possible benefits of swimming […]

PITTSBURGH — On Friday, Rays manager Kevin Cash announced that his club would do something not often tried in Major League Baseball: Deploy a relief pitcher as his starter. Cash told reporters that Sergio Romo, who had never started a game in his 11-year big-league career, would the mound for the first inning Saturday night […]

PITTSBURGH -- I asked about a month ago if it was too early to adjust our expectations for the Pirates. At that time, the team...

PITTSBURGH — Baseball is a team sport, but not necessarily a synergistic one. A batting lineup can run hot or cold, but that has little impact on how well arms and gloves can limit the opposition. There can easily be a disconnect between scoring and defending, perhaps more so than any other team sport. Even […]