Pirates give Russell second chance

Apparently the Pittsburgh Pirates front office had some misgivings about firing John Russell two seasons ago.

They apparently had some mighty bad feelings over that incident, so the Buc brass went out earlier this month and made the former Pirate third base coach the team’s new manager. That’s what you term “total forgiveness” in anybody’s book.

What a move! They do have a way of doing things a little different sometimes in the city where the three rivers meet. I’m not knocking this guy, but he did have a horrible record for sending Pirate runners home from his third base coaching position. His technique irked Bucs fans and they often voiced their discontent with his procedures: “Not even close,” they used to say.

Russell was a member of former Bucs skipper Lloyd McClendon’s team. McClendon was also given his walking papers a number of years ago. Since McClendon vacated the premises the Pirates have had one other skipper, Jim Tracy, who was fired at the close of last season after two seasons.

Russell is taking over a Pirates’ job that is not exactly a dream position. The Pirates have not had a winning season in 15 years. He becomes the team’s fifth full-time manager since the Pirates last had a winning season in 1992, following Jim Leyland, Gene Lamont, McClendon and Tracy.

But with all the changes the Pirates have made going into the 2008 season, this could possibly be the year the team turns things around. They have made more moves in the front office than LeBron James has made on the basketball court. One thing, Russell can’t do too much wrong. That’s already been done and the only way for the Bucs to go now is up.

This will be Russell’s first go at being a major league manager. He comes to the Bucs after managing the Phillies Triple A team the past two seasons, His record with the Ottawa Lynx last season was 55-88. Not what you would call an impressive showing. The Steelers apparently did a little gambling, too, when they replaced Bill Cowher with present coach Mike Tomlin. And that turned out to be a very good move, at least thus far

Russell has some major league playing experience being a catcher with the Phillies, Braves and Rangers. In 2002 he joined forces with the Pirates after he managed Edmonton to the Pacific Coast League crown. As a 10-year minor league manager, Russell shows a record of 666-647.

Other new front office personnel with the Pirates this season, team president Frank Coonelly, and first-year general manager, Neal Huntington, seem very well pleased to have Russell aboard.

Tanner returns

When Chuck Tanner was manager of the Pirates, winning was the name of the game. He took his 1979 Bucs to a World Series triumph over the Baltimore Orioles in seven games.

Now, he’s back home with the city that loves him. The Pirates recently put Tanner back on the payroll this time as a senior adviser in the baseball operations department.

Since his triumphant days as manager of the Pirates, Tanner has been around the baseball world. He most recently was a scout for the Cleveland Indians for the past five seasons. In Cleveland he worked with the new Pirates’ general manager, Neal Huntington. The two seem to be following each other around.

Tanner, 78, wears the label of being the last Bucs manager to win a postseason series. The Pirates have been involved in the playoffs only three times since that 1979 series, losing in the National League Championship Series in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

Tanner, who owns a restaurant in New Castle and hails from Shenango guided the Pirates from 1977-1985 with a record of 711-685. He previously managed in the major leagues with the White Sox, Athletics, Pirates and Braves. He was a manager for 19 seasons, racking up a record of 1352-1381. His final major league managerial position came with the Braves in 1988. Since that time he was a scout with the Milwaukee Brewers for 11 years before going to Cleveland. In Milwaukee his title was special assistant to the general manager.