Report: Clint Hurdle Will Return as Pirates Manager After Disappointing Season
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly declared manager Clint Hurdle safe.
"The Pirates are expected to make changes to their front office and coaching staff this offseason, but manager Clint Hurdle believes his job is secure," The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt wrote Wednesday evening. "Hurdle told The Athletic on Wednesday that he recently received assurance from the organization that he will be back as manager next year."
Hurdle is in his ninth season as the Pirates manager. Staying in Pittsburgh wasn't a lock for Hurdle, as the Pirates are 66-91 and will finish with a losing record for the fifth time under Hurdle. However, this sub-.500 campaign was arguably the most surprising.
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The front office must think the first half of 2019 was a truer indicator of Hurdle than the second half.
Pittsburgh was 82-79 last year and held expectations to be competitive entering this year. At the All-Star break, the Pirates were just 2.5 games back from the lead in the National League Central. They then went 5-24 from July 12 to Aug. 12. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they notched their 11th 90-loss season since 1998 and 24th in franchise history.
This year is the Pirates' second 90-loss season in the Hurdle era, with the other coming in the 62-year-old's first season in charge.
The pitching staff has especially underperformed, while the team has a minus-156 run differential. The starting rotation's 5.24 ERA ranks 27th above only Detroit's (5.25), Colorado's (5.61) and Baltimore's (5.65).
In happier times, with the likes of Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole and Starling Marte, Hurdle led the Pirates to the three consecutive postseasons from 2013 to '15. In 2014 and '15, Pittsburgh lost in the NL Wild Card Game, while in 2013 the Pirates fell 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.
Overall in Pittsburgh, Hurdle has posted a 732-719-1 record. Prior to taking over the Pirates, he served as manager for the Colorado Rockies from 2002 to 2009.
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