Martin has to be the tops, hilarious to think about how that move was slammed by the media.
Burnett is second, changed the team, and showed that at least some people in the organization wanted to try to win.
Trading Cutch was a tough move, but obviously found a good OF replacement.
He did a good job finding closers, and moving on, except for the last one. Hanrahan to Melancon to Rivero. All three were highly flawed pitchers when the Pirates traded for them. He also found Richard Rodriguez and Jason Grilli. There were some top tier bullpens a few years.
I was not a huge Hurdle fan at the end of his run, but that hire has to be mentioned. He had to do something right. Surprising how Leyland gets all this love, but Hurdle does not. At least Hurdle didn't quit on the team.
Neal Huntington's greatest success
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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2drfischer@gmail.c
Neal Huntington's greatest success
537574637565160 wrote: For me, Huntington’s greatest success was ending the 20 years of losing. That wasn’t the result of any one thing, or even big five things, but a whole lot of things that came together all at once. He should be commended for it, and was for the most part. He’s owed a debt of gratitude from all Pirates fans for eradicating us from that misery.
The mystery, the frustration, is what he did, or failed to do, after the 2015 season and until he was fired. I thought the idea was to build a minor league system that would replace the major league players as they aged or reached free agency. That didn’t happen, and trades made during that time actually hurt rather than helped.
In the end, he took the major league club out of the gutter, brought it near the top, and then drove it right back to the bottom, but not for the intention of rebuilding again. To me, the good he did was erased by what he did in his final years.
what I wonder about is whether NH knew the farm system was not going to produce or if he was surprised the way the team just went down hill in after 2015. Heck, who knows maybe he was surprised by 2013-15.
Good questions. He likely had hopes that some of the minor league players were going to become productive major leaguers, but he had to be surprised that hardly any of them would. But that was pretty much the history of his drafting/ development program. The major league club saw very little in the way of help from his draft picks.
The mystery, the frustration, is what he did, or failed to do, after the 2015 season and until he was fired. I thought the idea was to build a minor league system that would replace the major league players as they aged or reached free agency. That didn’t happen, and trades made during that time actually hurt rather than helped.
In the end, he took the major league club out of the gutter, brought it near the top, and then drove it right back to the bottom, but not for the intention of rebuilding again. To me, the good he did was erased by what he did in his final years.
what I wonder about is whether NH knew the farm system was not going to produce or if he was surprised the way the team just went down hill in after 2015. Heck, who knows maybe he was surprised by 2013-15.
Good questions. He likely had hopes that some of the minor league players were going to become productive major leaguers, but he had to be surprised that hardly any of them would. But that was pretty much the history of his drafting/ development program. The major league club saw very little in the way of help from his draft picks.
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2drfischer@gmail.c
Neal Huntington's greatest success
2F343938313D325C0 wrote: Huntington was nothing great, but he is better than what we have today.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
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How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
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WildwoodDave2
Neal Huntington's greatest success
693F293D322838333E291B3C363A323775385B0 wrote: Huntington was nothing great, but he is better than what we have today.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
Shedman's world consists of playing golf and seeing how far others can"kick a can down the world"! However, I must admit at least on other treads we are seeing a more gentle and a more docile Shedman
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
Shedman's world consists of playing golf and seeing how far others can"kick a can down the world"! However, I must admit at least on other treads we are seeing a more gentle and a more docile Shedman
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BellevueBuc
- Posts: 343
- Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:41 pm
Neal Huntington's greatest success
4E68697E68780B0 wrote: For me, Huntington’s greatest success was ending the 20 years of losing. That wasn’t the result of any one thing, or even big five things, but a whole lot of things that came together all at once. He should be commended for it, and was for the most part. He’s owed a debt of gratitude from all Pirates fans for eradicating us from that misery.
The mystery, the frustration, is what he did, or failed to do, after the 2015 season and until he was fired. I thought the idea was to build a minor league system that would replace the major league players as they aged or reached free agency. That didn’t happen, and trades made during that time actually hurt rather than helped.
In the end, he took the major league club out of the gutter, brought it near the top, and then drove it right back to the bottom, but not for the intention of rebuilding again. To me, the good he did was erased by what he did in his final years.
what I wonder about is whether NH knew the farm system was not going to produce or if he was surprised the way the team just went down hill in after 2015. Heck, who knows maybe he was surprised by 2013-15.
The Team President getting involved with player personnel because he was failing at his job probably did not help. Giving away prospects to lower payroll is also not helpful. Nutting keeping that trainwreck around tells me all I need to know about Nutting. If you produce profits, you can stay.
The mystery, the frustration, is what he did, or failed to do, after the 2015 season and until he was fired. I thought the idea was to build a minor league system that would replace the major league players as they aged or reached free agency. That didn’t happen, and trades made during that time actually hurt rather than helped.
In the end, he took the major league club out of the gutter, brought it near the top, and then drove it right back to the bottom, but not for the intention of rebuilding again. To me, the good he did was erased by what he did in his final years.
what I wonder about is whether NH knew the farm system was not going to produce or if he was surprised the way the team just went down hill in after 2015. Heck, who knows maybe he was surprised by 2013-15.
The Team President getting involved with player personnel because he was failing at his job probably did not help. Giving away prospects to lower payroll is also not helpful. Nutting keeping that trainwreck around tells me all I need to know about Nutting. If you produce profits, you can stay.
Neal Huntington's greatest success
500610040B11010A071022050F030B0E4C01620 wrote: Huntington was nothing great, but he is better than what we have today.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
____
If you set the bar low enough, even Cherington will not be able to get under it.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
____
If you set the bar low enough, even Cherington will not be able to get under it.
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2drfischer@gmail.c
Neal Huntington's greatest success
48535E5F565A553B0 wrote: Huntington was nothing great, but he is better than what we have today.
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
____
If you set the bar low enough, even Cherington will not be able to get under it.
You’ve said it a million times, that the players Cherington put on the roster are league minimum and not very good. So you expected something other than last place?
If only I could believe that you believe that.
___
How many last place finishes will it take for you to believe it?
I'm not sure how you didn't know the Pirates were going to finish anywhere else but last place these past two years. You live in an interesting world.
____
If you set the bar low enough, even Cherington will not be able to get under it.
You’ve said it a million times, that the players Cherington put on the roster are league minimum and not very good. So you expected something other than last place?