Huntington Holding Off on Call for Backup
By Tom Smith
Prior to the Pittsburgh Pirates being swept by the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Pirates GM Neal Huntington held his weekly show with Greg Brown. Huntington mentioned that
Brad Lincoln was “a ways away” from being called to the major league team.
He also mentioned Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez (with 44 RBI) are not “imminent” on receiving a promotion call from the Pirates. Later on in the day, Tabata went 0-for-5.
Huntington has a track record of holding back prospects. Look at Andrew McCutchen last season. The decision to have McCutchen do some extended work in AAA turned out favorably for the Pirates.
He was asked about a story by local writer Ron Cook in which Huntington was described as sabotaging the ball club. Huntington denied the allegations and stressed similar moves in which he stuck with Freddy Sanchez, Nyjer Morgan, and Nate McLouth during periods in their career when they struggled. Huntington also said, “I will shoulder all the blame” when things don’t go right for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Huntington said John Russell has done a fine job managing a team that has been ripped apart twice in two years.
What this means for Pirates fans is the wait will be longer than we thought. So head on down to PNC Park to pick up your Stars and Stripes hat on Memorial Day as the Bucs take on the Chicago Cubs, but don’t plan on seeing the youthful talent in this series.
Neal Huntington isn’t prepared to make the call for backup just yet.