Hurdle is the master communicator
Clint Hurdle draws his share of criticism from statistically-inclined fans for his unconditional love of the sacrifice bunt and the sometimes odd ways in which he handles the bullpen.
The criticism of the Pirates manager is fair. He makes some strategic moves that are head scratchers.
However, managing in the major leagues is more about dealing with people than it is running a game and Hurdle is the master communicator.
Hurdle’s ability to transform the Pirates from the laughingstock of baseball into a team that almost assuredly will compete in the postseason this year has come in large part from his ability to make his players believe.
From the day he took over as manager in November, 2010, Hurdle insisted the Pirates could win.
He said it so many times and with so much conviction that everyone started thinking it was possible. The Pirates then won 15 more games in 2011 than they did during the 57-105 debacle of 2010.
The Pirates improved upon their win total by five games last season and have broken the interminable string of 20 consecutive losing seasons this year.
No Pirates manager has won the National League Manager of the Year award since Jim Leyland in 1992. Gene Lamont should have won it in 1997, but somehow finished second to Dusty Baker.
Hurdle deserves to win it this season because he has done the impossible. He has brought winning baseball back to Pittsburgh.
– — –
Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage has developed the reputation of being able to fix broken pitchers. Left-hander Francisco Liriano is a prime example, winning 15 games so far this season after posting a combined six victories for Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox last year.
With that in mind, the Pirates should make Washington right-hander Dan Haren their primary free agent target in the upcoming offseason.
Haren has a $13-million salary this season but his value should be down as he was just 8-12 with a 5.02 ERA in 26 games going into his scheduled start Friday night at Miami. Though Haren turns 33 on Sept. 17, scouts still believe he has something left and one positive sign is that he had struck out 124 in 141 2/3 innings while walking just 24.
Sounds like someone very fixable for Searage.
– — –
Pirates reliever Jason Grilli disappointed some fans after his first rehab appearance at Class AA Altoona last Saturday by leaving the park after pitching the first inning so he could back to Pittsburgh for the Pirates’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals that night.
Grilli more than made up for it after his second appearance for Altoona on Monday. Grilli pitched first inning again and then went into the stands at Peoples Natural Gas Field and signed autographs for over an hour.
Not many major-leaguers, particularly an All-Star, would do something that.