MLB Dirt

Were you one of the many who thought the Pittsburgh Pirates might actually have a winning season in 2012 for the first time in twenty years? If you realized that their manager was Clint Hurdle, you knew that an epic collapse was in the offing once again. Will someone please tell me why this man is still a Major League manager?

This is the second straight year the Pittsburgh Pirates have collapsed under Hurdle. But let’s take a look at his history. He has won one National League pennant in ten years. The other nine years, his clubs have finished under .500. That’s one winning season in ten years.

Hurdle’s ten year average of finish is 4th place. For his career, he is 113 games under .500 for a winning percentage of .462. Sadly, this year’s Pirates team that finished 79-83 was his second best finish ever. And that was…you guessed it….a 4th place finish.

The Mets don’t always make the smartest decisions, but they were wise to let Hurdle go to Colorado after managing their AAA team for two seasons. Managing two years at AAA Tidewater/Norfolk, Hurdle’s teams combined to go 31 games under .500.

Will there come a point in time, that even the Pirates realize that they have a lifetime bad manager at the helm? Even the Pittsburgh Pirates have to realize that….don’t they?

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis Tagged: | Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates