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Pittsburgh Pirates Managerial Candidates Part 1

By Marty Leap

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 2: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays talks to manager Jeff Bannister #28 of the Texas Rangers before the start of their MLB game on May 2, 2016 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 2: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays talks to manager Jeff Bannister #28 of the Texas Rangers before the start of their MLB game on May 2, 2016 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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22 Jul 1999: John Wehner #7 of the Pittsburgh Pirates watches the ball after hitting it during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Pirates 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
22 Jul 1999: John Wehner #7 of the Pittsburgh Pirates watches the ball after hitting it during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Pirates 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /

John Wehner

For the majority of his life, John Wehner has work for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Additionally, for the entirety of his life he has been passionate about the Pirates.

The Pittsburgh, Carrick to be exact, native was selected in the 7th round of the 1988 MLB Draft by his hometown Pirates. From 1991 – 1997 he played for the Pirates, this was followed by a two year stint with the then Florida Marlins. Wehner then left South Beach to return home to the Pirates for the final three years of his MLB career.

After retiring from playing, Wehner became a coach in the Pirate system. From 2002 – 2004 he was the hitting coach for the Double-A Altoona Curve. He then joined the Pirate broadcast booth where he has been since 2005. So, dating back to 1988, Wehner has worked for the Pirates as a player, coach or broadcaster for 29 of the last 31 years.

Last week, Wehner went on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh and expressed interest in being the team’s manager. As one can imagine, this quickly became a hot button topic in Pittsburgh.

So, could Wehner be a a candidate to become the Pirates’ next manager? While, it is unlikely. After all, he has never coached at the Major League level and he has not coached in professional baseball in over 10 years.

That said, Wehner is a smart baseball mind. If he would happen to get an interview he would likely make a strong impression. But ultimately, he is unlikely to be the team’s next manager and he probably should not be the next manager.

Now something like bench coach John Wehner? That has a nice ring to it.

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