Name The Last GM You Liked

[GnatsEyelash]

"I don't have to tell you things are bad. You know things are bad. It's a depression." - Howard Beale



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMVMbmQBug



I've been around this board for over a decade. How long? I go back to the "Lloyd Sucks" and "Littlefield Is Clueless" days. There was a time that, off the board, I argued with the long gone GoBucs21, who made the point that part of Dave Littlefield's responsibility was to overcome the failing of ownership to provide the resources to compete.



The Pirates have not won a World Series in 40 years, and have failed to achieve contention in a vast majority of those seasons.



This morning, I went back to the roster of General Managers of The Pittsburgh Pirates. Everyone of them met an inglorious end, save for maybe Syd Thrift, who got shuffled out for standing up to ownership.



We've had Pete "Bozo" Peterson. We've had Syd "You Can't Fire Me I Quit" Thrift. How about Larry "Waiver Wire" Doughty? "Heart Attack" Ted Simmons? "Mad Cam Disease" Bonifay. "Clueless" Dave Littlefield, and now, Neal "Bad Deal" Huntington.



The last GM Pittsburgh that enjoyed general support was Joe L. Brown, who had his hands in 1960 and 1971 titles as GM, and 1979 because he set the table with the talent.



I don't think the next GM, whether he arrives this year, next year, or in two years, will bring any magic wand. He will bring another set of cans to kick down the road. He may buy ownership a couple of years before the cycle repeats again, but rest assured, it will repeat again.



The current baseball economics reward bad performance. If you choose not to compete, your margin for error on players is razor thin if you want to win, but you can still rake in millions for your owner.



This will continue until there is a change at the very top. But there is no motivation for a baseball owner to sell if he continues to profit wildly on his investment.



We can be Mad as Hell, but history shows we will take it. Money will continue to flow, even if it's not "our" money. And should the stars align, we'll come back at the slightest glimpse of hope.



That's the lesson of 40 years.

[Ecbucs]

0F26293C3B0D312D24293B20480 wrote: "I don't have to tell you things are bad.  You know things are bad.  It's a depression." - Howard Beale



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMVMbmQBug



I've been around this board for over a decade.  How long?  I go back to the "Lloyd Sucks" and "Littlefield Is Clueless" days.  There was a time that, off the board, I argued with the long gone GoBucs21, who made the point that part of Dave Littlefield's responsibility was to overcome the failing of ownership to provide the resources to compete.



The Pirates have not won a World Series in 40 years, and have failed to achieve contention in a vast majority of those seasons.



This morning, I went back to the roster of General Managers of The Pittsburgh Pirates.  Everyone of them met an inglorious end, save for maybe Syd Thrift, who got shuffled out for standing up to ownership.



We've had Pete "Bozo" Peterson.  We've had Syd "You Can't Fire Me I Quit" Thrift.  How about Larry "Waiver Wire" Doughty?  "Heart Attack" Ted Simmons?  "Mad Cam Disease" Bonifay.  "Clueless" Dave Littlefield, and now, Neal "Bad Deal" Huntington.



The last GM Pittsburgh that enjoyed general support was Joe L. Brown, who had his hands in 1960 and 1971 titles as GM, and 1979 because he set the table with the talent.



I don't think the next GM, whether he arrives this year, next year, or in two years, will bring any magic wand.  He will bring another set of cans to kick down the road.  He may buy ownership a couple of years before the cycle repeats again, but rest assured, it will repeat again.



The current baseball economics reward bad performance.  If you choose not to compete, your margin for error on players is razor thin if you want to win, but you can still rake in millions for your owner. 



This will continue until there is a change at the very top.  But there is no motivation for a baseball owner to sell if he continues to profit wildly on his investment.



We can be Mad as Hell, but history shows we will take it.  Money will continue to flow, even if it's not "our" money.  And should the stars align, we'll come back at the slightest glimpse of hope.



That's the lesson of 40 years.


Well written. I think one of the sad parts of the Pirates approach is that fans miss the thrill of being in a pennant race. The race for the wild card just isn't the same.



Fans will go to the games because it is fun to go now and then. Some season ticket holders feel that way too. but really to sell season tickets (to non-business accounts) you need to be in a pennant race now and then.



The Bucs weren't in one from 1993 until 2013 and then repeats in 14, and 15 (except for 1997) which is a shame for fans.



Who knows if there will be another one.

[skinnyhorse]

I would say Ted Simmons was the last real baseball man and decent GM, unfortunately he was only GM for 2 years.  Since then they have all basically been business type guys who know some baseball but not deep baseball knowledge.  I so sick of these guys who know someone in other organizations who recommends them and we get stuck with 10 years of rookie mistakes, and just dumb trades.  We need a real baseball man who want to win above all else.  The one we have now has such stupid clowns around him who don't know how to evaluate talent and can't recognize talent in their own organization, little lone in other organizations.

[DemDog]

I grew up with Joe L. Brown and will always think he is the best.  But Simmons wasn't bad for the time he was here.



Simmons as Pirate GM

[rucker59@gmail.com]

A rare look inside the Pirates War Room: Neal asking Owner Nutting for $8000 to sign a new starting pitcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ms8fXuQ64

[UtahPirate]

7D7A6C646A7D3A364F68626E6663216C60620F0 wrote: A rare look inside the Pirates War Room: Neal asking Owner Nutting for $8000 to sign a new starting pitcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ms8fXuQ64


Ha! I keep thinking of this one (sorry if it got posted before) especially after blowing the lead today:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-aCYV ... N-aCYVVtyo



Gently rocking, gently rocking ... dang, this is killing my summer!

[BenM]

Joe L. Brown.



I got to meet him when I was a kid. Even though I didn't really know what a GM did, I was super impressed that someone who was obviously important on my favorite team would talk to me.



It was only later that I figured out that he was good at his job.

[rucker59@gmail.com]

0223363F073E25362332570 wrote: A rare look inside the Pirates War Room: Neal asking Owner Nutting for $8000 to sign a new starting pitcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ms8fXuQ64


Ha! I keep thinking of this one (sorry if it got posted before) especially after blowing the lead today:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-aCYV ... N-aCYVVtyo



Gently rocking, gently rocking ... dang, this is killing my summer!


Classic!

[IABucFan]

Neal Huntington. He’s a good GM who took a franchise in utter disarray and built them into a three year playoff run and contender, having the second best record in baseball in one year. That said, whatever he had, he’s lost. He’s lost this team. It’s time for him, and Hurdle, to go.

[PMike]

646C6F584E6B4C432D0 wrote: Neal Huntington. He’s a good GM who took a franchise in utter disarray and built them into a three year playoff run and contender, having the second best record in baseball in one year. That said, whatever he had, he’s lost. He’s lost this team. It’s time for him, and Hurdle, to go.


Totally agree. He should always be a hero for turning this franchise around. I will always remember how thankful I was specifically to him after they made the playoffs that first year.



I have also gotten to talk with NH a couple times one to one. I really like him as a human being and as a baseball guy. He is great to talk with.



And, his time needs to be over here. Drafting. Development. Scouting. And I think he is now gun shy to make the big trade.