Clint Hurdle: New Season, New Message

Clint Hurdle has a new message for the 2014 season

We often wonder how long the Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle honeymoon can last.  The man is an incredible speaker with a powerful personal message.  I simply wonder when messages get lost on Major League players.

The new season, new message mantra was in full effect yesterday as Hurdle addressed the Pirates squad.

Jayson Stark of ESPN captured the message in his excellent article today. Clint Hurdle’s message: The time is NOW

"“NOW, where are we going to go?” he bellowed, his voice soaring, like a modern-day Winston Churchill in uniform. “NOW, how are we going to get there? The importance of NOW. The next step for us, in all the different facets of the game. We’ve got to nail NOW. We’ve got to take care of NOW.“And the men are on board. They get the fact that, OK, we’ve had enough positive experience from the hard work that’s played out. And there’s more there. We’ve got to go get more. And NOW is the day that we start that next journey. The journey of the 2014 season starts NOW. Today.”"

So while I think Hurdle’s message is less important than his managerial skill set.  (Like leaving A.J. Burnett on the mound to get hammered against St. Louis when he had nothing)  The important piece of Starks story is a bit further down.

No, not that Neal Huntington realized it’s more important than wins and losses as he was looking for a snow shovel.

It was what Hurdle admitted.

"“We create strategies through probabilities, through statistical analysis,” he said. “But we create attitudes through possibilities. And whatever we think is possible, IS possible.”"

If Hurdle can lead this team back to the postseason as the roster stands today, not only will he be the NL Manager of the Year again, but we will lay off our internal thoughts of him being a bit phony.  Our thoughts of his in game managment might ease, because sketches will be underway on the bronze statue.