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PIRATES NOTEBOOK From the Butler Art Institute
Becoming GM: The 12th general manager in Pirates history, Neal Huntington came from humble beginnings in Amhert, N.H. “I grew up on a dairy farm with my dad who would get up at 4:30 in the morning and he never had a bad day,” Huntington said. “There were challenges and frustrations, but never had a bad day. My mom was a nurse, but loved every minute of it. I knew at a young age that I wanted to find something that I felt about that way they felt about nursing and farming.” He played baseball in college and had his first job in the industry in 1995 as Assistant Director of Player Development with the Montreal Expos. He was employed by the Cleveland Indians for 10 seasons and joined the Pirates as GM in 2007. “Twenty-some years later, here I am and I count my blessings everyday,” he said.
Living legend: Former Pirate Steve Blass pitched two complete games in the 1971 World Series, an unheard of feat today, even in the regular season. But after the 1972 season, Blass inexplicably lost his control for the last two years of his career, never regaining the power he had in the previous seven years. “[The Wold Series] has been so much a part of my life and people remind me of that, thankfully, a lot more than my control issues,” he said.
Blass book: Earlier this year, Blass released a book, “A Pirate for Life” chronicling his life and struggles on an off the field. “You know every member of the family should have a copy,” he said, laughing. “I had a lot of recall and a lot of memories that I had in my head that I wanted to convey and I didn’t want to wait any longer. It was fun to do it and therapeutic.”
New coach: Rick Sofield also made his first Pirates Caravan appearance. The new first base coach, who replaces Luis Silverio, has been a former minor league manager most recently leading the Low A West Virginia Power to a 38-32 record. “We had some clear major leaguers that just need to see more situations and learn to handle adversity because baseball is a game of failure more than anything,” Sofield said.
Reunion: Sofield and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle first met in 1975, when they were drafted by the Minnesota Twins and Kansas CIty Royals, respectively. Upon his promotion to the big league club, Sofield was overjoyed to work with an old buddy. “He’s loosey-goosey,” Sofield said. “I love him. He’s a bright guy, extraordinarily witty and fast on his feet. He’s got a lot of confidence and he’s a motivator, second to none.”
Alvarez humbled: Growing up in the Bronx, N.Y., Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez had Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez jerseys. Now, when he looks into the PNC Park crowd, he sees thousands of kids, just like him in the early-1990s, sporting the Alvarez No. 24. “That’s something I’m still getting used to,” he said. “It’s very flattering and I’m honored. For me to see a kid to wear my last name on their back, it even chokes me up sometimes.”