Former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is retiring from baseball, according to a report by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Hurdle recently had an interview with the Padres to be their hitting coach, but ultimately decided to retire rather than move to the other side of the country.
Hurdle's nine-year tenure here came to a close on Sept. 29 when he was told he was fired before the season finale against the Reds. The Pirates finished last in the NL Central for the first time under his stewardship, and multiple benches clearing brawls and clubhouse altercations cast the team in an even more negative light. He was given the option to manage the final game, but decided against it.
Hurdle is due the remaining $6.3 million on his contract over the next two seasons. He signed a four-year extension near the end of the 2017 season.
It was an unfortunate end for Hurdle, who inherited a team on a historic losing streak and left as one of the winningest managers in franchise history. The Pirates went 735-720 in his nine years as skipper, with the highlight being three straight playoff berths from 2013-2015. Hurdle is fourth all time in wins as Pirates manager, trailing only Fred Clarke (1,422), Danny Murtaugh (1,115) and Jim Leyland (851).
He retires with a 1,269-1,345 record over 17 seasons. He led the Rockies to a pennant in 2007 and won the NL Manager of the Year award in 2013.
It turned out Hurdle was the first domino to fall in what has been an offseason of housecleaning within the organization, which has included pitching coach Ray Searage, bench coach Tom Prince, team president Frank Coonelly and general manager Neal Huntington.
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