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Friday, September 21, 2007

Perrotto: Bucs’ GM search over: It’s Huntington’s job

Per Perratto…

The Pittsburgh Pirates have all but settled on their next general manager and it appears their choice is going to be a surprise.

Multiple baseball sources told The Times on Thursday night that the Pirates are leaning heavily toward hiring Neal Huntington, a special assistant to the general manager with the Cleveland Indians.

Huntington is considered one of the bright young minds in the game but there had been no inkling before Thursday that he was even under consideration to join the Pirates as a replacement for Dave Littlefield, who was fired Sept. 7 after a little more than six years as GM.

The Pirates have declined comment throughout the process and have also forbidden any candidates from speaking with the media.

Sources indicated that Huntington would likely be announced Monday at a news conference.

Repoz Posted: September 21, 2007 at 01:23 AM | 25 comment(s)
Related News: General, Pittsburgh

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1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 01:45 AM (#2534964)

Wow. I didn't see that one coming.

Any Cleveland/Montreal people have an opinion of him?

2. Mushmouth Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:34 AM (#2535031)

Either way, I'm not gonna get my hopes up. Lots of folks thought Littlefield had a good pedigree coming in.

3. Justin Zeth Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:37 AM (#2535033)

This is pretty much exactly how it went down when they hired Littlefield. With Coonelly and Huntingdon, I'm completely convinced ownership intends to continue doing what it's always been doing.

4. Shooty Is A One Man Legion Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:37 AM (#2535035)

On the plus side, he's not a retread so their won't be a 100 posts of teeth gnashing about this. On the negative side, well, I really don't have one as I really know nothing about Huntington. The Indians are solid, obviously, but a lot of failed gms have come from solid organizations.

5. retro-shiite Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:38 AM (#2535036)

Well, at least Huntington's been working with a smart GM. (Where did Littlefield come from? I do remember his being well thought of, for a first-time GM.)

6. Rodney Harrison, ESPN Monday Night Football Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:45 AM (#2535043)

First I've heard of him here. Dan? Bernal?

7. Rodney Harrison, ESPN Monday Night Football Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:52 AM (#2535048)

Indians Front Office Roster

On the baseball side of ops, Huntington looks to be sixth guy on the totem pole.

8. WTM Posted: September 21, 2007 at 08:56 AM (#2535054)

He seems to have been working lately as an advance scout. That's not something I'd expect a potential GM to be doing.

9. IronChef Chris Wok Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:01 AM (#2535058)

I hate to say this, but "Huntington" is a horrible horrible disease.

10. A Surfeit of Peaches Graham (SdeB) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:03 AM (#2535060)

Better than Littlefield's Palsy, though.

11. CFBF: Now With the Dan Werr Seal of Approval Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:13 AM (#2535068)

Huntington might well be brilliant, so this isn't really a criticism. But if you're going to raid the Indians' front office, why not take Antonetti? He's highly-regarded, isn't he? Did he just not want the Pittsburgh position?

12. Harold Reynolds: An Erotic Life (AG#1F) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:26 AM (#2535084)

I can see the advantage of firing your GM early and getting someone new in there. There was likely to be a big rush on Ed Wade and Neal Huntington this winter, so Houston and Pittsburgh were wise to hire them early.

13. The District Attorney Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:35 AM (#2535088)

I hate to say this, but "Huntington" is a horrible horrible disease.

If you must live on Long Island, though, it's probably the place to be.

(Hope this never happens.)

But if you're going to raid the Indians' front office, why not take Antonetti? He's highly-regarded, isn't he? Did he just not want the Pittsburgh position?

I seem to recall hearing that he in fact did not. (Would you? Well, okay, would you if you were likely to have a wide choice of other GM jobs coming up in the future?)

14. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:40 AM (#2535093)

It looks like ESPN ran a big profile of him a while back, but it's behind the pay wall. Anybody here have Insider?

"Where did Littlefield come from?"

He was from the Dombrowski tree: Started out in Montreal, then made his bones with the Marlins. Amusingly, Huntington, Littlefield, and Ed Creech were all co-workers in the front office of the 1997 Expos.

"But if you're going to raid the Indians' front office, why not take Antonetti? He's highly-regarded, isn't he? Did he just not want the Pittsburgh position?"

They supposedly asked him a couple of days ago, and he said he wasn't interested.

15. WTM Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:44 AM (#2535098)

Amusingly, Huntington, Littlefield, and Ed Creech were all co-workers in the front office of the 1997 Expos.

I don't find it amusing. Getting rid of Creech is half the point of this whole exercise. I hope he and Huntington aren't old buddies. If Creech is retained, we might as well have Littlefield back.

16. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:45 AM (#2535101)

It's probably also worth considering the possibility that Perrotto has it wrong. The BCT is part of Trib Total Media, and the Trib is the same paper that said that Grimm had the job as Steelers coach locked up.

17. retro-shiite Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:46 AM (#2535103)

Looking at the Indians' front office roster, I see they have a sports psychologist. The Cubs do not--and with the likes of key players (I'm looking at you, Big Z) seeming to have some emotional issues, to say nothing of their huge cash flow, you'd think they would.

They do, however, employ a massive number of people in the areas of marketing, community relations and publications. I'm so comforted.

18. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:49 AM (#2535108)

If nothing else, his background as the son of dairy farmers makes him a natural for the Celebrity Milking Contest at the Big Butler Fair.

19. CFBF: Now With the Dan Werr Seal of Approval Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:55 AM (#2535113)

I seem to recall hearing that he in fact did not

Well there you go.

As an aside, how ###### up does your organization have to be for someone to turn down a chance to become a major league general manager?

"Chris, we want you to be our general manager. Run the organization."

"Meh. I think that would really cut down on my ability to watch Ugly Betty. Thanks, though."

20. WTM Posted: September 21, 2007 at 09:58 AM (#2535119)

I think Antonetti turned down a chance to interview for the Red Sox job.

21. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 10:34 AM (#2535165)

"I think Antonetti turned down a chance to interview for the Red Sox job."

This is true.

22. Billy B Posted: September 21, 2007 at 11:50 AM (#2535268)

The White Sox AGM (Rick Hahn) supposedly also passed on the chance to interview, so Antonetti isn't alone in thinking that better opportunities might be out there someday soon. Either that or they both really like Ugly Betty.

23. Harold Reynolds: An Erotic Life (AG#1F) Posted: September 21, 2007 at 12:03 PM (#2535293)

"I think Antonetti turned down a chance to interview for the Red Sox job."

So did Dayton Moore. Boston must be the worst club in MLB to work for. Best organization in baseball my ass!

24. Shake that Laffey Taffy Posted: September 21, 2007 at 05:10 PM (#2536061)

On the baseball side of ops, Huntington looks to be sixth guy on the totem pole.

I think Huntington just has a less defined role than everybody else, a jack of all trades if you will. He seems to interact with Belcher and Robby Thompson a lot; majors, minors, advance scouting, etc.

25. Arnold Rothstein Posted: September 22, 2007 at 12:18 PM (#2537534)

This stuff with the advance scouting, it almost seems like the Indians are giving him some between the lines experience so that he wouldn't look like just a computer guy.

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Perrotto: Bucs’ GM search over: It’s Huntington’s job

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