From ESPN.com

 

Lloyd McClendon was fired Tuesday as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates with the team only one defeat away from a fifth consecutive losing season. Bench coach Pete Mackanin is set to serve as interim manager for the rest of the season.

 

The team is expected to immediately begin searching for a replacement for McClendon, a former Pirates player and coach who was on the verge of becoming the first manager in team history to have five consecutive losing seasons. The Pirates have not had a winning season since winning the NL East in 1992.

 

The talent-thin Pirates, who only this season began a concerted effort to rebuild with youth, averaged 91 losses in McClendon's first four seasons. With a 55-81 record going into Tuesday night's game against Arizona, they were tied with Colorado for the NL's worst record.

 

The Pirates held a club option on McClendon for 2006 and, after an encouraging start that saw them reach .500 at 30-30 on June 11, the team began talking to McClendon about next season. But the Pirates have since lost 51 of 76 games and appear headed for their fourth season of 90 or more losses since 1999.

 

The Pirates have lost four straight, nine of 10 and 14 of 18. They also have dropped eight in a row at home, their longest streak since PNC Park opened in 2001.

 

Once they lose another game, the Pirates' 13 consecutive losing seasons will be three short of the major league record.

Yup. The Pirates fire their manager. That'll solve all their problems now, I tell you what. He's been the source of it all.

 

Hopefully McClendon gets another shot...he was a better manager than that organization deserves.

Honestly, McClendon was overdue.

 

That team has talent now and had talent before when he got the team.

 

The least they could have done is compete with the Cubs, Reds and Brewers.

Honestly, McClendon was overdue.

 

That team has talent now and had talent before when he got the team.

 

The least they could have done is compete with the Cubs, Reds and Brewers.

 

I couldn't disagree more...They're offense is anemic, at best.

 

Jason Bay and 8 stiffs is not gonna equate out to a lot of victories.

I couldn't disagree more...They're offense is anemic, at best.

 

Jason Bay and 8 stiffs is not gonna equate out to a lot of victories.

Before Jason Bay, they had Brian Giles, Jason Kendall, Aramis Ramirez, Craig and Jack Wilson, the same pitchers minus Oliver Perez and still couldn't finish .500.

Before Jason Bay, they had Brian Giles, Jason Kendall, Aramis Ramirez, Craig and Jack Wilson, the same pitchers minus Oliver Perez and still couldn't finish .500.

That's also a young Aramis Ramirez before his real power surge started and while he was making a ton of errors, and an overpaid Jason Kendall.

That's also a young Aramis Ramirez before his real power surge started and while he was making a ton of errors, and an overpaid Jason Kendall.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/2001.shtml

 

*Ahem*

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/2001.shtml

 

*Ahem*

 

Showing the season end averages doesnt indicate how good a team is(or should have been). The Sox have been great on paper since 2000. Now all of their averages are in the pisser and they are 34 games over .500. Besides the fact that the Pirates started the year with Derrek Bell(.179) as their primetime acquisition and started him in the outfield, most of the players you mentioned either werent there(Perez) or played half the year(CWilson 88 games, JWilson 108 games).

 

McClendon has been dealt a bad hand every year he was the coach, the payroll has been dismal, the team has traded away any offense they had as soon as it showed promise. McClendon will get another shot, he didnt blow this one IMO.

Showing the season end averages doesnt indicate how good a team is(or should have been).   The Sox have been great on paper since 2000.  Now all of their averages are in the pisser and they are 34 games over .500.   Besides the fact that the Pirates started the year with Derrek Bell(.179) as their primetime acquisition and started him in the outfield, most of the players you mentioned either werent there(Perez) or played half the year(CWilson 88 games, JWilson 108 games).

 

McClendon has been dealt a bad hand every year he was the coach, the payroll has been dismal, the team has traded away any offense they had as soon as it showed promise.  McClendon will get another shot, he didnt blow this one IMO.

Sure...

 

Oh, here's a little McClendon trivia.

 

He is the only player in Little League World Series history to hit 5 home runs in one game.

 

http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/sports/7-1.../mcclendon.html

Edited September 6, 200520 yr by knightni

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/2001.shtml

 

*Ahem*

So you seriously look at that lineup, adjust for the fact that 2001 was probably the biggest power/steroids year on record, and you think that we should be impressed? The team batting average was .247 for crying out loud, and their team ERA was over 5.

Good luck to the only man I've ever seen steal 1st base.

I think he should get another shot with another team. He seemed competent in his job, but was dealt a bad job. Instead of folding and being a benchcoach until another offer popped up, he decided to take that job. He never was given a team in which you could say was going to compete for even half the year.

Yeah I always thought he was a pretty good manager just never had a half decent team.

I was always a McClendon fan. He just got dealt a tough gig, especially with Pitt trading away a ton of guys and getting limited value in return (aside from the Brian Giles deal).

Dave Littlefield and the owners should be the ones getting canned.

The first few years he could've done a better job with, but he was probably learning to be a manager. But when you basically give the division rival Cubs your best players at the time and give up Giles and have Kendell leave, there's not a lot you can do.

The first few years he could've done a better job with, but he was probably learning to be a manager. But when you basically give the division rival Cubs your best players at the time and give up Giles and have Kendell leave, there's not a lot you can do.

Not to mention the gigantic contract that they gave to Kendall...I mean come on, the guy's getting paid $10 million this year...hasn't hit a single home run, and is batting .255.