Clint Hurdle

Lore & Background

Hurdle was named for his father, Clinton, who played collegiate baseball for Ferris State University. He moved from Michigan to Florida at age four, was a bat boy for the Cocoa Astros, and graduated from Merritt Island High School. He received a scholarship from the University of Miami to play college baseball and football as a quarterback, and was accepted to Harvard University, but declined both to play professional baseball. The Kansas City Royals selected him in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1975 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 1977 and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1978 as 'This Year's Phenom.' He played 515 games at the major league level. After retiring as a player, he managed in the minor leagues before joining the Rockies organization as a hitting instructor and later manager. He led the 2007 Rockies to the franchise's first National League pennant. He was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 14, 2010, and managed them through the 2019 season, leading them to playoff appearances in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 2013. He was fired on September 28, 2019, and later worked as a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020.

In Their Own Story

The dugout at PNC Park was quiet in the way that only a post-elimination dugout can be quiet. The 2013 World Series had ended, and the Rays had done it in four. Hurdle stood in the back of the dugout, hands on his hips, watching the last of the Rays' players celebrate on the field. A young position player—just a couple of years out of the minors—walked past him on the way to the clubhouse and said, "We'll be back, Coach." Hurdle nodded. He'd been in that dugout before, as a player, watching other teams celebrate while the Pirates sat in the stands. He knew the feeling of the almost. He patted the kid on the shoulder, walked out under the October lights, and let the sound of the crowd fade into the Pittsburgh night. The city would talk about this for years. He already knew it would.

Reader's Guide

Clint Hurdle played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. He managed the Colorado Rockies (2002–2009) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2010–2019). He never played for or managed the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, or any other team not listed in the source.

Did You Know?

• Hurdle was a bat boy for the Cocoa Astros as a child.
• He was accepted to Harvard University but chose to play professional baseball instead.
• He led the Venezuelan league in walks in all three seasons he played winter ball.
• He set a franchise record for the Tidewater Tides with 105 RBIs in 1983.
• He managed the Pirates to their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1992 in 2013.