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Pirates fire Littlefield

JTrea81

By JTrea81
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sakata_catching Major Leaguer

sakata_catching

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This is so long overdue, I'm at a loss for words. When McClatchy was put out to pasture in January, Littlefield was officially put on notice.

Bob Nutting has said a lot of the textbook-correct things since taking over day-to-day CEO chores from McClatchy. And by forcing out McClatchy and Littlefield, he's shrewdly disposed of the two biggest scapegoats for the Pirates' failures -- at least in the court of public perception.

It's a foregone conclusion that Jack Wilson won't be back. If they bring in a GM with some vision, you might well see Bay, Sanchez, LaRoche, Nady and Snell move too. But that's a very big if -- maybe several of them. The names I keep hearing associated with the CEO job are Garagiola and Dan Duquette, neither of whom fill me with rosy visions for the Pirates' future. [Edit: There's also talk of Jocketty being interested in the CEO job, and possibly bringing LaRussa with him. This seems to me exceedingly far-fetched.]

Between the O's and the Pirates, it will at the very least be an interesting off-season. Sad that their regular seasons are so irrelevant.

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Fairfax Bird Major Leaguer Rising Star

Fairfax Bird

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check out his blunders courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com:

1/2/02 - Agreed to terms with free-agent RHP Mike Williams on a two-year contract with a club option for 2004.

12/20/02 - Acquired RHP Matt Herges from the Montreal Expos in exchange for minor league pitchers Chris Young and Jon Searles.

1/31/03 - Designated RHP Bronson Arroyo for assignment.

7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

11/20/03 - Claimed off waivers: pitcher Matt Guerrier by Minnesota, pitcher Duaner Sanchez by Los Angeles.

12/16/04 - Acquired C Benito Santiago, along with cash considerations, from Kansas City in exchange for RHP Leo Nunez.

7/28/05 - Acquired Minor League INF J.J. Furmaniak from the San Diego Padres in exchange for C David Ross.

7/31/05 - Acquired OF Jody Gerut and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for OF Matt Lawton.

1/4/06 - Signed OF Jeromy Burnitz to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007.

2/28/06 - Agreed to terms with SS Jack Wilson on a three-year contract extension (through the 2009 season) with a club option for 2010.

7/31/06 - Acquired OF Xavier Nady from the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez.

2/1/07 - Signed RHP Tony Armas Jr. to a one-year contract, with a club option for 2008.

7/31/07 - Acquired RHP Matt Morris from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Rajai Davis and a player to be named.

Makes our GMs look pretty smart. Aramis Rameriz for Jose Hernandez. Ouch.

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twoBshorty Major Leaguer

twoBshorty

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Dave Littlefield has been so bad that I think lumping him in with legendary greats like Matt Millen and Isiah Thomas is appropriate.

Any news on who they might get to replace him? I suppose it depends on the CEO, but I bet they go through the same pool of retreads the Astros are digging through right now.

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sakata_catching Major Leaguer

sakata_catching

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Dave Littlefield has been so bad that I think lumping him in with legendary greats like Matt Millen and Isiah Thomas is appropriate.

Any news on who they might get to replace him? I suppose it depends on the CEO, but I bet they go through the same pool of retreads the Astros are digging through right now.

All the talk has been about the CEO position. That's where Garagiola and D. Duquette's names have been floated.

Now that Littlefield's departure has been made official, the GM rumors will start to gain traction. One name that Pirates' fans seem intrigued by is Paul DePodesta, if only because that would all but end Jim Tracy's tenure in Pittsburgh as well.

Tracy isn't a good manager, but he bears about as much blame for the Pirates' situation as

. If he's fired, I'll bet dollars to donuts that Phil Garner is the next Pirates manager.
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rolliefingers All-Star

rolliefingers

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12/20/02 - Acquired RHP Matt Herges from the Montreal Expos in exchange for minor league pitchers Chris Young and Jon Searles.

1/31/03 - Designated RHP Bronson Arroyo for assignment.

7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

2/28/06 - Agreed to terms with SS Jack Wilson on a three-year contract extension (through the 2009 season) with a club option for 2010.

7/31/06 - Acquired OF Xavier Nady from the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez.

7/31/07 - Acquired RHP Matt Morris from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Rajai Davis and a player to be named.

I hadn't realized Chris Young was a Pirate. Wow. Isiah is in a league of his own, but Littlefield was pretty awful. At least we haven't made a habit of TRADING for awful veteran players - we just lose draft picks when we sign them to inflated deals. Small consolation, but still.

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DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

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check out his blunders courtesy of mlbtraderumors.com:

1/2/02 - Agreed to terms with free-agent RHP Mike Williams on a two-year contract with a club option for 2004.

12/20/02 - Acquired RHP Matt Herges from the Montreal Expos in exchange for minor league pitchers Chris Young and Jon Searles.

1/31/03 - Designated RHP Bronson Arroyo for assignment.

7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

11/20/03 - Claimed off waivers: pitcher Matt Guerrier by Minnesota, pitcher Duaner Sanchez by Los Angeles.

12/16/04 - Acquired C Benito Santiago, along with cash considerations, from Kansas City in exchange for RHP Leo Nunez.

7/28/05 - Acquired Minor League INF J.J. Furmaniak from the San Diego Padres in exchange for C David Ross.

7/31/05 - Acquired OF Jody Gerut and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for OF Matt Lawton.

1/4/06 - Signed OF Jeromy Burnitz to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007.

2/28/06 - Agreed to terms with SS Jack Wilson on a three-year contract extension (through the 2009 season) with a club option for 2010.

7/31/06 - Acquired OF Xavier Nady from the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez.

2/1/07 - Signed RHP Tony Armas Jr. to a one-year contract, with a club option for 2008.

7/31/07 - Acquired RHP Matt Morris from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Rajai Davis and a player to be named.

Makes our GMs look pretty smart. Aramis Rameriz for Jose Hernandez. Ouch.

That matches the Orioles' record of ineptness, and maybe then some. And that's not meant to be anything like a compliment for either organization.

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twoBshorty Major Leaguer

twoBshorty

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Here's a Speculative article on replacements.

After a list of 12 excellent candidates like David Forst, Chris Antonetti, Kim Ng, Logan White, and Tony LaCava, we get the "participant ribbon" footnote:

OTHERS TO WATCH

Milwaukee assistant GM Gord Ash; Detroit vice president/assistant GM Al Avila, Boston assistant to the GM Allard Baird, Baltimore VP of baseball operations Jim Duquette, Boston assistant GM Jed Hoyer, Cleveland player personnel director Steve Lubratich.

Don't let the door hit you on your way out, Jim.

That being said, if he's hired over pretty much any of those other guys except maybe Baird, then something is seriously wrong. My dad grew up a Pirates fan and lost interest out of embarrassment. We still have a basement full of tattered Bill Mazeroski posters. I would love it if they could get their crap together for him.

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sakata_catching Major Leaguer

sakata_catching

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Here's a Speculative article on replacements.

After a list of 12 excellent candidates like David Forst, Chris Antonetti, Kim Ng, Logan White, and Tony LaCava, we get the "participant ribbon" footnote[...]

LaCava's name is coming up more and more in local media. He grew up in Pittsburgh and still lives in Oakmont.

The Orioles should be courting any or all of the above candidates as well.

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