A few weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the hiring of Clint Hurdle as their new manager.  He was the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers this past season. Before that, Hurdle was the manager of the Colorado Rockies and took them to a World Series appearance in 2007.Many Pirates fans were wondering if they would even find anyone to coach this team after they lost 100 games this past season. There are also many issues to deal with as the 2011 season draws near.I’m excited about the Hurdle signing, though. He is the type of manager that will take control of this team and make strong decisions. He has experience coaching a small market team, the Colorado Rockies and he was able to jump start their minor league system., which resulted in their 2007 World Series run.The reason John Russell failed here in Pittsburgh was that the front office was telling him how to do his job.  They were telling him who to play, who to call up and who to start.  I don’t believe that John Russell was going to turn the team around, and his lack of energy looked contagious to the players.This is why I always say, “leave the coaching to the coaches.”One of the reasons that it took so long for the Pirates to find a manager was that managers do not want to be told what they are allowed and not allowed to do.Hurdle has the right attitude to coach this team and get them out of the losing streak they have been stuck in.  He is the type of guy who will ignore the front office choices and play the guys he wants. He also won’t be afraid to bench someone who’s not playing well. Hurdle should also help make the Pirates a more attractive free agent destination.  Wait, what am I saying?The Pirates go after free agents?Am I under the delusion that the Pirates spend money? As usual, the Pirates are saying that they do not like what they see in the free agent market and that they do not want to go there to fix their problems.  This means that they are going to dig into the system instead.  We will be waiting a little longer to see a .500 record in the standings.The Pirates system is not ready to be a contender in the 2011 season even though they have some pieces in place on the major league roster.  Double-A pitchers such as Rudy Owens may help the team this season, but I hope the team does not hurt its young players by calling them up too soon.After Hurdle was signed as the new manager he attended the Steelers-Patriots game at Heinz Field and the Penguins-Rangers game the next night.  Both the Steelers and Penguins lost.  I hope he isn’t already cursed.Your time is up in the penalty box, Hurdle. You can head back to the plate.