'An honor to be your manager:' Interview with former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle

One of the most popular managers in Pirates history is Clint Hurdle. He was the leader of the squad that sent Pittsburgh back to the playoffs in 2013 after a 30-year drought.

As the manager of the Pirates, Hurdle had a record of 735-720, sending them to the playoffs three times and winning National League Manager of the Year in 2013. He ranks fourth in franchise history in wins.

Out of all of Hurdle's accomplishments during his tenure with the Pirates, returning the city of Pittsburgh to the playoffs was his overall favorite memory.

"It's like a lot of other people, it would've been the Wild Card game, the blackout game of 2013," Hurdle said.

Hurdle led the Pirates to a 6-2 Wild Card victory over the Cincinnati Reds before they were knocked out by the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Divisional Series.

The playoff atmosphere from 2013-2015 truly represented the passion behind the city of Pittsburgh and their love for the Pirates. Hurdle absolutely loved coaching in front of all of that.

"I think my favorite part would have been to have the opportunity to be apart an incredibly passionate baseball town and fanbase," Hurdle said on his favorite part about coaching in Pittsburgh.

Part of Hurdle's tenure allowed him to build strong relationships with a lot of players and he emphasized how difficult it was to choose who he enjoyed coaching the most because there are so many guys he appreciated. But there was one specific fan favorite that he was able to form a special kind of bond with.

"Cutch was probably the one that we may have talked about more things off the field than on the field," Hurdle commented on who he enjoyed coaching the most. "He is a very deep and introspective guy that I really grew to appreciate in a lot of different ways."

Clint Hurdle reflects on time as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, watching young players develop into MLB stars

Along with coaching at the big league level, Hurdle was able to watch a lot of prospects grow throughout the Pirates organization. There were some notable ones in terms of high draft picks, but also some ones of made major leauge history, that he really liked to see.

"Started with [Gerrit] Cole, he would've been a one-one pick that showed up and made his mark in Pittsburgh," Hurdle explained on what prospects he was excited to watch at the big league level. "Austin Meadows, following him throughout the minor leagues, him getting the chance to come up. There were also some really quiet, but impactful victories we had, getting Gift Ngoepe the chance to become the first African player to play in the major leagues, Dovydas Neverauskas first Lithuanian. To see the home grown prospects like [Gregory] Polanco and [Starling] Marte, very exciting."

Pittsburgh will always be a special city for Hurdle as he is one of the most significant managers in Pirates history. He concluded with a message for the Pirates fanbase.

"Hold fast, that's a sailing term, hold fast," Hurdle stated. "It was an honor to be your manager for nine years."

Clint Hurdle will always be a special name to Pirates fans. He was the manager to end the long playoff drought in Pittsburgh. Hurdle will forever be an icon to the city and the passionate fanbase of Pittsburgh.

More Pirates content from Rum Bunter