MLB: Q&A with Neal Huntington

Huntington...curing the genetic disorder of the Pirates.

I am a big fan of Matt Morris as a person, but am glad that you released him. What was your thinking of releasing him versus moving him to the bullpen?

The release of Morris was not an easy decision, Robert, despite his early-season struggles. Matt is a consummate professional and his clubhouse presence will be missed.

As we weighed our options with Morris, it became evident that there was little to be gained in moving him to the bullpen. The best answer was to release him and create an opportunity for some of our younger pitchers that we hope will be a part of the picture for years to come.

What is your position regarding the value of advance scouting in person vs. the current video system?

Having first-hand experience with both types of advance scouting, I can comfortably state that advance scouting via video has certain advantages over advance scouting live in person, and vice versa.

Essentially, it comes down to the Major League coaching staff and the information they require to best help our players prepare to compete on a nightly basis. As we prepared for the 2008 season, we discussed the positives and negatives of each program and chose to utilize the video advance process for this season. We are fortunate to have such a quality person in Adam Lewkowicz doing the video advance for us this season.