PITTSBURGH — Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle is eyeing a milestone. After notching his first managerial win with the Colorado Rockies on April 26, 2002, a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field, Hurdle is just one win shy of 600.
A number that is very humbling to the Pirates manager.
“I was actually in St. Louis when [Cardinals Manager Tony] LaRussa got his 2,000th,” Hurdle said. “I started doing the math with my coaching staff on what it would take for a manager to get to 2,000 wins. So if you have a good team and you get 90 wins, how many seasons in that? 22. 22 seasons of 90 wins. I’m humbled everyday I get the opportunity to manage…I can tell you I have more losses than that as a manager. If I’m looking at anything, I’m looking at closing the separation between wins and losses.”
In nine Major League seasons as Manager, eight with the Rockies, Hurdle currently has a 599-702 record.
“I know they’re put as the managers wins and losses, and I get that. It just means you’ve been fortunate enough to do it for a longer amount of time than probably a lot of other guys.”
Of those 599 wins, there are two that stand out in his mind. Game 163 in 2007 and the game that also piggy backed that one is when the Rockies won the National League Championship that year.
“It was so gratifying for me to see so many people happy,” Hurdle said. “So many different people: employees, people in the street, people running businesses downtown, people selling season tickets. To know what that impact has, and truly what the ramifications of playing the game of baseball, the impact that it has on so many other people. And for a team to be able to raise a National League Championship flag? Those two games right there. As good as anything I can throw at you.”
Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports
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