Pittsburgh 3B coach succeeds Tracy as Manager

• November
• 6

8:05 am Pittsburgh Pirates, sports tickets, mlb, baseball

Russell spent much of his MLB career in the minors. He was fired as a coach 2 years ago by the Pirates. Is this really the right person that very same Pirates could find to become its new manager?

Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington and president Frank Coonelly said Monday that was exactly why they hired John Russell, who had managed at every level of baseball except the majors.

Because Russell is the best man for a job many believe is next to impossible: remaking Pittsburgh into consistent winners again even though they are coming off fifteen consecutive losing seasons.

46-year-old Russell, known in the minors for getting the most from his teams, said he knew the system they had will work. There are many areas, in which the team can improve.

As for his previous firing by Pittsburgh, John Russell said that two years ago was a different time. He promised no team in the majors will work harder than the Pirates, and everyone in uniform would be accountable on a daily basis. The main idea is to stretch Pittsburgh arguably thin talent to the maximum and squeeze out as many wins as possible.

Pittsburgh have not won more than seventy-nine games since 1992, yet John Russell suggested he is tired of hearing why the Pirates cannot win. No doubt, he has heard plenty of such talk as Pittsburgh 3B coach from 2003-05 under former manager McClendon.

John Russell pointed to several young starting pitchers like Paul Maholm, Tom Gorzelanny, Matt Capps, Ian Snell, and Zach Duke, good speed and great defense, and proven hitters like Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay as a core to build around.